The Mac Observer

Source Offers Photo of 10” Apple Tablet Glass [Updated]

January 11th, 2010 at 3:22 PM - News by Bryan Chaffin

A source has sent us a photograph of what he claims to be the glass to be used in Apple's as-yet unannounced tablet device. In the photo below is just the glass, which looks a lot like a large iPod. According to our source, the glass measures 10" on the diagonal.

We aren't positive about how this device would be presented, but we thought it made the most sense in a vertical alignment. If it is legit, one would think that the slot at the top is for a speaker, while the hole in the upper left could be for a camera lens. The button on the bottom, of course, would likely be a Home button, the same with the iPhone.

We weren't able to double source the image, but we do trust the source that provided us with the image. Apple is expected to launch an iPhone OS-based tablet device later this month.

Apple's Tablet Glass
A source tells us that this is glass for Apple's unannounced tablet

UPDATE: On January 19, TMO received two more photos showing the same glass surface. These photos, however, offer some scale by including other items in the images, including a MacBook Pro.

Apple will be hosting a special media event on Wednesday, January 27, in San Francisco, and is expected to introduce a tablet device. Be sure to check in with TMO for our announcement coverage.

21 Observer Comments

   Actions Tim Windsor said on January 11th, 2010 at 4:00 PM:

Why would there need to be a tiny slit of a speaker in the same place where the iPhone has its earpiece?

That was my initial reaction as well, Tim. That said, the speaker has to go somewhere.

That said, it’s always possible that we or our source were misled - which is why I presented the story in the manner I did.

One thing is certain, however: This isn’t just an iPhone glass. The proportions are wrong, and the hole in the upper left is, of course, different.

I hope it’s fake—it’s ugly.

-Jon

it could be the next HTC HD pro (over 4” screens”).
noticed small hole on the top left ... bad place for a camera

it could be something for a **canceled** project. remember the camera ipod touch ?

   Actions Josh Landing said on January 11th, 2010 at 5:57 PM:

I think I’d buy it more if the orientation were landscape rather than portrait. I’m guessing the tablet will be 90 degrees rotated from this design. So nope… but we’ll all know in a few weeks right?

   Actions not fooled said on January 11th, 2010 at 6:04 PM:

Remember when “our source” produced photos of the new iMac in that Paris elevator?  Good.  The same holds here too.

Besides, not even Microsoft would produce something so absurd.  There’s no way anything like this got past Steve.

   Actions MichaelJohnston said on January 11th, 2010 at 8:08 PM (Edited: 01/12/2010 1:07 PM):

Faaaaaaaaaaaake! smile

Wow, that looks dead on like a Palm Pre faceplate

About a wek ago I did an experiment. I held my magic mouse up to my head as though it were an iPhone, I then took a blurry photo of myself doing so. I then showed this to a few of my friends in the mac community claiming I had the new, yet to be announced iPhone. And they bought it.
It just goes to show that it does not take much more than a blurry photo claiming to be apple’s next device to convince people that it is the new device.
I call Shenanigans.

Look at the radius of the corners, and compare that to an iPhone or an iPod Touch. There is no way the plate in this photo is larger than 5”, 6” tops. Considering the object is supposedly roughly 1’ high—there is no way Apple would let something this ungainly looking get even to the prototyping stage.

If the source were being sincere, they would have bothered to show another object - hand, ruler, iPhone or whatever - to show scale.

Nice try “product leaker”, but this is bunk. smile

   Actions ArmagedonNGB said on January 12th, 2010 at 7:33 AM:

For me looks like the next iPhone with frontal webcam to video call

zoom in a little more and magically it will become a 13 inch screen!

I agree the radii of the corners looks wrong, but the button size proportionate to the screen size (take an iphone or touch, size up the screen, but keep the button size the same, looks correct).  So I’m not inclined to reject this completely yet.  Also note that the earpiece slot and the button hole are no longer the same width, which is not the case w/ the phone.

look at the little hole next to speaker slit. totally an iphone 4G forward camera for vidchat. epic win. also that screen looks at least 4” diag. another win. lets hope its OLED

Here are the calcs on the image of the bezel that confirm the iSlate screen will be 10 inches.

http://islatedemo.com/islate_bezel_calcs.php

This looks a lot like the faceplate of a hard case I have for my iPhone 3g. The case I have resembles the front of the iPhone black borders all around. The small hole on the top right is there to keep the light sensor from being covered. The slit on top is for the earpiece speaker and the round cutout on the bottom is for the home screen button. If you look at the bottom right hand area of the pic you can see a plastic like thing which looks like one of the hinges to snap it on. I will take a pic and link it up later. I took the case off my phone.

This looks like one of the iPhone mock-ups that you see in O2 and Apple stores (in the UK at least).

If you have a newer, dual-core MacBook, lift up the lid and hold it.  There’s your iSlate.

this could not be the Tablet, it has to be an iphone.i donno what the small dot on the top left is for, (mayb for the camera light. like on all macs, when the camera turns on the green light comes on). The buttom hole looks like the roller ball thingy on blackberry.

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