The Apple rumor mill churned out some sad news for tablet fans on Thursday thanks to reports that the cherished device won't hit store shelves until later in 2010. Apparently Apple's tablet launch window has been moved from March to the second half of 2010 to account for a change in components, according to DigiTimes.
The latest rumors claim Apple is now planning on releasing a tablet with a 9.7-inch OLED display, and a second with a 10.6-inch TFT LCD display. Since OLED displays are still expensive, the smaller tablet is expected to cost Apple between US$1,500 and $1,700 and could be priced around $2,000.
Apparently the OLED panels will be coming from LG Display. Foxconn, Pegatron Technology and Quanta Computer are also rumored to be involved in the tablet manufacturing process.
The 10.6-inch tablet will rely on a less expensive LCD screen and is expected to cost between $800 and $1,000.
Rumors of an Apple tablet computer have been circulating for some time, and have risen to a fever pitch in the past year. Reports from DigitTimes will no doubt help drive up excitement even though many of the rumors the organization covers fail to pan out.
Despite Apple's tight-lipped control over information about upcoming products, however, enough seems to be leaking out to support the eventual release of some type of tablet-based product from Cupertino -- even if the current specifications and time frame rumors prove to be wrong.