Piper on Apple tablet

Apple's rumored tablet device is real, but it should not be expected to have the financial impact of something like the iPhone, says Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. The tablet is claimed to have been verified through talk with an Asian component supplier. Munster's predictions, though, hold that it will ship in 2010 instead of 2009, and only start pushing Apple growth in 2011.

Assuming Apple sells 2 million tablets in 2010 at an average price of $600, the company should accumulate $1.2 billion in revenue. That would still only be 3 percent of total forecast revenues however, and possibly only enough to compensate for sliding iPod sales. Greater potential is seen if wireless carriers decide to subsidize the tablet.

Munster suggests that the tablet should be viewed as another model of Mac or iPod, rather than attempt to start a completely new product line. In terms of functionality it may resemble a larger iPhone, capable of running a number of widget-style apps simultaneously. Previous reports have proposed that it should have a 10-inch screen, and a built-in 3G cellular connection. A mockup can be seen below.

by MacNN Staff