Apple’s New Tablet Rumored to be Delayed

Steve Jobs’ next big thing is being retooled, Asian supply-chain sources report

Artist’s rendition. Source: Silicon Alley Insider.

Live by the rumor, die by the rumor. Or at least go on life support.

The Apple (AAPL) tablet computer that all Silicon Valley has taken as a given — but no one outside of Cupertino seems to have seen — won’t be arriving early next year, as widely rumored, and may not appear until the second half of 2010.

This according to a report Thursday in DigiTimes, a Taipei-based daily newspaper that covers every hiccup in the Taiwanese and greater Chinese electronics industry with uneven results. At one point, MacRumors, which trades in Apple gossip itself, stopped citing the paper without heavy disclaimers about its track record (see here.)

Still, the report includes pricing and component details that, if true, could cause Apple’s competitors to rethink their own product plans. Among other things, DigiTimes reports that Apple is gearing up to make two models, one with a 10.6 inch LCD screen, another with a far more expensive 9.7-inch organic LED (OLED) panel.

An OLED tablet might sell for as much as $1,200-1,500, according to DigiTimes, although the price point could be reduced if subsidized by, say, AT&T (T) or Verizon (VZ). DigiTimes‘ sources expect the 10.6-inch model to priced in the $800-1,000 range.

You can read the full report here. Take it all with a grain of salt.

[Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter @philiped]

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