Rumors that Apple is on the verge of releasing a tablet-type device have reached such a frenzied level that now anonymous industry analysts are claiming to have touched the the fabled product. Apparently an unnamed analyst is claiming to have seen a prototype of the device, but there's little more than excitement and hope to back up those claims.
According to Barron's, the fantom tablet the mystery analyst caressed sports a rumor-friendly 10-inch display, and will be announced in September but ship in November.
Other computer makers have apparently jumped on the Apple tablet bandwagon, too, and are waiting to see what the Mac and iPhone maker releases before updating their own products.
Whether or not an industry analyst really has seen a tablet device from Apple, however, seems difficult to accept. The company is notorious for its pre-release secrecy, and showing off a new product before an official announcement -- especially to an analyst that's likely to let slip that they've seen it -- is a hard pill to swallow.
Whether or not Apple really is working on a new tablet device remains to be seen, but what is clear is that interest in an Apple-branded tablet remains high -- at least among fantom analysts.