Apple Tablet Rumors Hotter than Ever

While Apple is constantly denying the press any detail whatsoever as to what its plans are, tablet speculation is reaching critical levels with a China Times report claiming that the company has ordered Foxconn, Wintek, and Dynapack to provide what they need for this unconfirmed device.

A poster on the MacRumors forums has provided a good translation of the China Times article in question, which reveals that, “Although there are many reports that highlight the new iPhone debut during the last month as well as Steve Jobs’ return, Jobs will not face any new product shortage, at least not for this year. Taiwan’s high-tech supply chain companies said Apple will debut its first netbook in October; Apple will pose itself to tackle the Christmas shopping season.”

“Three corporations – Foxconn, Wintek, Dynapack have received direct orders from Apple. (Wintek will be producing touch screens and providing relevant technologies for Apple.) In addition, some supply chain companies have privately confirmed deals related to netbooks,” the Chinese publication reportedly says.

9to5mac chimes in with word that PA Semi (a chip maker recently acquired by Apple) may have been given some instructions as well. The publication reports “some interesting news [...] on the state of Apple's in-house processor development as it relates to tablets,” citing a VentureBeat article via Gizmodo.

The original source claims to have learned that, “PA Semi’s team was split into two parts, one designing portable ARM-based processors for iPhones and iPods, and another designing a processor for the tablet device” (the VentureBeat piece reads). Apple acquired PA Semi in April, last year, for over 270 million dollars.

The Mac maker is also believed to be gearing up for an October unveiling of the elusive tablet, which would fall in line with the company’s launch-before-Christmas practices, in order to maximize profits. More people agree now that, should this so-called touchscreen netbook materialize, it will be exactly what Apple needs to fill the gap between its pricey MacBooks and the design-limited iPhone and iPod touch. Additionally, there is evidence within Apple’s patent applications that the company is working on such a device.