Apple Tablet Coming to AT&T?

September 15, 2009 at 4:30 am PT

Steve-Jobs-Moses Those Apple tablet rumors just never let up, do they? Not a week after the company’s latest media event and they’re already back in force.

The latest, from China Economic News, claims the device is being prepped for a February debut at a price somewhere between $799 and $999. Supply chain sources tell the publication the tablet will be built around a 9.6-inch Wintek capacitive touch panel and a mystery processor engineered by P.A. Semi, the boutique semiconductor design company Apple acquired in 2008. DynaPack International Technology will supply batteries, which are said to be “long lasting.”

Finally, the Apple (AAPL) device is said to support the high-speed downlink packet access 3G protocol. Interesting, since this likely means the tablet is destined for AT&T’s (T) network, not Verizon’s (VZ), as had been previously rumored, and lends credence to predictions that Apple will extend AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity deal rather than allow it to lapse.

Tagged with: 3G protocol, AAPL, Apple, AT&T, batteries, capacitive, China Economic News, debut, device, digital, DynaPack International Technology, exclusivity deal, February, hardware, high speed downlink packet acesss, innovation, Internet, iPhone, John Paczkowski, network, P.A. Semi, price, processor, rumor, semiconductors, sources, supply chain, T, tablet, touch panel, Wintek

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Fred Hamranhansenhansen

The cellular network connection should be standardized, same as the iPhone. What runs on AT&T in the US runs on the rest of the world also. Verizon has a Mi-Fi device that turns their network into standard Wi-Fi, that is the best way to run on Verizon, not making a second SKU of a product with Verizon hardware in it.

The overlapping phone monopolies in the US is one of the stupidest things ever done in technology. I’m not surprised at all that Apple is avoiding it altogether.