What is Apple iSlate?

The iSlate, also referred to as the Apple Tablet, may be an upcoming tablet computing device product from Apple Inc. Apple has not acknowledged rumors that it is developing a tablet of any sort or that any future product will be called iSlate. Many observers expect Apple to announce the iSlate at a press event on January 27, 2010 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The iSlate is expected to be sold starting in March 2010.

The device is expected to incorporate a 10-inch (26 centimeter) to 11-inch multi-touch display made by Innolux, a subsidiary of Foxconn. The price point is expected to be more expensive than the iPhone but less expensive than an Apple notebook computer with a projected price around $1,000 USD. The possibility of a subsidized price with a network contract has also been discussed.

Some analysts expect the iSlate to compete in the market against dedicated e-book devices such as the Barnes & Noble nook and the Amazon Kindle while offering 70% of revenue to publishers, the same arrangement accorded developers of the App Store. These arrangements would also extend to print publishers who currently receive less in digital work royalties from companies like Amazon.com.