Report: Apple Tablet Delayed for OLED Panel
If you were hoping to see an Apple tablet in the Spring, we have some bad news.
After months of reports claiming we'd see the Apple tablet in Q1 of next year, the latest rumor is that the device has been delayed until the second half of 2010. Oh, and Apple is also said to be developing a high end, OLED version that will retail for significantly more.
The latest gossip comes to us direct from Digitimes, which cites sources from component makers who say Apple has decided to switch some components and plans to launch a model using a 9.7-inch OLED panel from LG Display. These sources went on to point out that LG is currently making OLED panels using its 4.5G production line and the company's five-year $500 million contract with Apple includes supply of OLED panels.
Given that the cost of one of the OLED panels rings in at around $500 and panel costs normally account for about 30 percent of the device's total cost, the sources estimated that Apple's OLED tablet will cost between $1,500 and $1,700. This price is expected to drop to around $1,200 by the second half of next year, with the retail price for the device expected to be $2,000.
Read the full story here.

Cost for Apple expected to drop to $1,200, retail price estimated to be $2,000. You know, Apple tax and that.
No, I wasn't hoping for anything like that, so no bad news here.
Whoever wants to see this happen, expect high Apple tax and limited hardware specs, along with limited practicality, kinda like the iToy, only bigger.
Because it's Apple and it's on THG. You didn't get the memo?
does this make sense to anyone, or do i just need more sleep
Cost for Apple expected to drop to $1,200, retail price estimated to be $2,000. You know, Apple tax and that.
Ex. computer costs $533 to build with LCD ($400 components + $133 lcd) then replacing with a $500 OLED the cost would be $400+$500 = $900 and the panel would be 55.6% of the total cost.
unless the parts in the computer scale with the panel (highly doubt), the cost cost should be a few hundred dollars less than the $1500-$1700 prediction
No, I wasn't hoping for anything like that, so no bad news here.
Whoever wants to see this happen, expect high Apple tax and limited hardware specs, along with limited practicality, kinda like the iToy, only bigger.
Because it's Apple and it's on THG. You didn't get the memo?
Now That's the Apple I know and expected.
so whats this gonna be, a macbook air with the screen flipped in backwards?
2) the push for OLED is battery life the power savings are not that dramatic. Getting the same battery life out of the tablet as an OLED would mean a few ounces of battery tops, and maybe 1-2 ounces for the screen (the BULK of the unit will be the GLASS!) Shaving 4 oz and 1-2mm off a product does not warant a $500 increase in price... They can wait (and so can I) for cheaper prices and I'm willing to accept a heaview unit in the same form factor and function. Apple also desperately needs to be FIRST to market with such a device!
3) Don't count on these rumors, this is very likey a Gen 2 product decision for the tablets, not a change to the initial release model. Casings manufacturing orders have also been leaked, and changing the screen would mean chaning those too...
2) A base tablet is going to have to cost within $300 of an iPhone (after subsidy) to get any market traction if it also runs the iPhone OS and is limited to iPhone-like processing power. Apple would know this. A Mac-OS device in 10.x" factor with touch screen, and a full performance processor capable of everything a 13" macbook is just on a tablet in 10" might fetch the same or slightly higher price as a 13" macbook, but not much more, definetly lower priced than the Air (which is overpriced) (especially without a CD drive and other typical features). I don't think a full features OS X tablet could fetch more than $1500 unless it also packed a 9600GPU to go with it (unlikely).
What I'm excited about most is not even having a large iPod touch, I'm excited about the rumored NFC implications when one of these is in proximity to a REAL mac. THAT'S where the power of the device is, other than that it would just be flashy (and honestly, I;d prefer a 7-8" media pad over a 9-10" one if that's all it;s going to be...)
Absolute fail. If panels normally cost about 30% of the device total cost, and 'normally' panels aren't OLEDs, how in the world does the increase in the cost of the panel drive up the other components cost by the same percentage? Who are these experts and where did they get their estimating skills from? If an LCD screen runs in at 30% of total cost, the proper conclusion to have made there would have been that OLED panels will simply make up a larger % of the total cost.
So I think the cost to apple is grossly overestimated in this article. And I think it was done on purpose with Apples blessing, because I DO completely beleive they'll charge around $1700-$2000 for this device at their regular, very wide profit margins.
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That's more like it. I hardly believed Apple could sell a computer, even more a Tablet PC, for less than 700$, as previously expected.
its like a giant itouch...
Of course.
No great loss anyway. I'll take my much more powerfull, $500 cheaper notebook that has a tablet mode (and a lot more capabilities)