Apple can launch Tablet PC with Verizon and AT&T: – Everyone is waiting for Wednesday, when Apple could unveil a new tablet computer, Apple is in talks to bring its rumored tablet device to the 3G networks of both Verizon and AT&T, according to reports.
It sounds odd for Apple to have a major press event without a final carrier deal, but then again, Apple held an event for the iPhone 3GS before MMS messaging and tethering were officially supported by AT&T. And to this day, tethering still isn’t supported.
Little is known about the device, despite a rabid fan following speculating on everything from the component makers to its shape and form. Industry watchers are bullish. They say Apple’s obsession to detail gives the so-called “iSlate” a big edge in a computer category that had been deemed a failure.
Apple is in talks with both AT&T and Verizon to support the tablet, according to sources within the companies: One version of the device will run on CDMA networks such as Verizon’s, and one will operate on GSM networks like that owned by AT&T.
Mike Abramsky with RBC Capital Markets, the corporate and investment banking division of the Royal Bank of Canada, has projected a $600 average selling price for Apple’s forthcoming tablet. That could add 30 cents of earnings per share to the company’s stock, resulting in a $5- to $10-per-share valuation upside. Another $2.8 billion in revenue would be a 6 percent increase for Apple.