Apple tablet part details appear

Apple's frequently rumored tablet received more details on Tuesday with an apparent leak of production plans. Taiwan's Economic News claims the touchscreen hardware is now slated for February and that companies will start shipping parts in December. The publication reiterates the presence of a near 10-inch touch display but now insists the tablet will be based on a custom processor (likely ARM-based) from recent acquisition PA Semi and will use HSDPA for its 3G access, likely putting it on AT&T's network.

The unidentified industry sources also give the unit a "long lasting" battery and a price point somewhere between $799 and $999. Clues to Apple's expectations for sales come from the number of parts in demand: the battery manufacturer, DynaPack, is reportedly expected to make about 300,000 batteries a month, translating roughly to a similar amount of tablets.

Existing suppliers like Wintek (which provides iPhone and iPod touchscreens) as well as power equipment supplier Mag. Layers Scientific-Technics are said part of the production effort.

The accuracy of the report is uncertain, although it's consistent with stories of an early 2010 release and a device that uses a variant of OS X iPhone rather than a desktop platform. It does partly conflict with rumors of a Verizon media pad deal and, for both to be true, would require either a separate version with EVDO-based 3G or else one with multi-mode 3G, such as in Qualcomm's Gobi chipset. [image via Fotoboer]

By Electronista Staff