'No Camera, Webcam or Otherwise' on Apple’s Tablet

John Gruber of Daring Fireball, a generally reliable source of rumors, claims to have heard that Apple’s unconfirmed tablet PC boasts neither a web cam, nor a camera for taking stills or shooting video. The tidbit certainly sounds disappointing for those expecting the Apple tablet to boast at least everything the iPhone does, even more so if confirmed as accurate.

Suggesting that speculation revolving around Apple’s unannounced tablet is erroneous, John Gruber writes, “I know, I should be slapped for being surprised at a link-bait headline from TechCrunch’s Robin Wauters. But, man, this one is just horrendous. Carriers do not get to see Apple products in advance. Remember Stan Sigman, CEO of Cingular? He admitted it flatly when the iPhone debuted: Cingular agreed to carry the iPhone without having seen it.”

Gruber is referring to a radio interview where France Télécom / Orange executive Stéphane Richard was caught off guard and said “yes” to the existence of Apple’s tablet, although it was later revealed that there was a bit of a misunderstanding. Richard, as TechCrunch’s Robin Wauters reported, “told French journalist Jean-Pierre Elkabbach that the tablet would soon make its entry into the market, and that it will be equipped with a webcam.” The translated conversation goes:

Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: According to weekly Le Point, in a couple of days Apple will be launching its tablet computer …
Stéphane Richard: Yes.
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: … equipped with a webcam.
Stéphane Richard: Yes.
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: Are Orange customers going to be able to enjoy it?
Stéphane Richard: Of course!

Apple, however, will most likely unveil the device (if this is even the tablet everyone’s hoping to see) at a media event scheduled for later this month. Shipping is said to occur even later, in March.

“And, for what it’s worth, I’m hearing there is no camera, webcam or otherwise, on The Tablet,” Gruber concludes.

Well, this certainly doesn’t fall in line with a recent MacObserver report saying, “A source has sent us a photograph of what he claims to be the glass to be used in Apple's as-yet unannounced tablet device [...] If it is legit, one would think that the slot at the top is for a speaker, while the hole in the upper left could be for a camera lens.”

Softpedia itself noted that Apple would have no business crafting a tablet PC to look exactly like the iPod touch, although cameras on the back and front of the device don’t seem all that far-fetched to us. In fact, the tablet may draw criticism, should it not boast at least one camera. Still, Gruber has a pretty solid track record on these matters.