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WSJ Apple Tablet rumor: wifi service and March release

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mactabletmockupPretty much everyone believes Apple’s upcoming event later this month will center around their mythic tablet, which I will be extremely relieved to see. I don’t really care what it does at this point; I just want the aimless rumor-mongering to stop. It’s great that you know a guy who met a guy who touched someone who saw the Apple tablet, but really, unless you have something new to share, it’s just noise. Thus, I commend The Wall Street Journal for stepping up with a wrinkle most haven’t suspected: subscription to a nationwide wifi service.

Apple Inc. plans to unveil a new multimedia tablet device later this month, but doesn’t plan on shipping the product until March… […] 10- to 11-inch touch screen… […] priced at about $1,000, possibly including a subscription to a nationwide Wi-Fi wireless service.

I believe they mean that the subscription would be included in the price, not that the price would be lowered due to a subscription to a service plan (poorly written if otherwise). If true, this would knock down the old rumors of 3G and Verizon service and tie Apple closer to AT&T, the presumed provider of said service.

Sounds pretty plausible to me. I’ve opined a couple of times that it makes more sense for Apple to keep 3G in the iPhone and rely on tethering to share it with other computers, including the mythic tablet. Regardless, it’s still a rumor and only a rumored possibility at that, but hopefully we’ll learn the truth soon enough.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Mickey Segal

    01/05/2010 at 3:56 pm

    There is much opportunity for broken telephone started by someone using the word “wireless”, also used to describe the Kindle’s connectivity: https://www.slashgear.com/amazon-kindle-dx-global-wireless-looks-imminent-0567738/

  2. Mickey Segal

    01/05/2010 at 8:40 pm

    Computerworld reports (https://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9143107/Apple_s_tablet_will_use_Verizon_s_3G_network_sources_say) “Apple’s tablet will use Verizon’s wireless data network to connect to the Internet when users are out of range of a Wi-Fi hotspot, a Wall Street analyst today said his sources were reporting. “The tablet will be supported by multiple [mobile] carriers,” said Brian Marshall of Broadpoint AmTech, citing unnamed sources he said were close to the situation. “Verizon and others,” he continued. “Definitely Verizon. I’ve been told that’s a certainty.””

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