Apple Tablet Wrap: Verizon Gets First Dibs; Publisher Discussions Ongoing; iPhone 4G And More

Gizmodo's Mock-Up Of The Apple Tablet

Now that Apple’s hush-hush event is exactly one-week away, the amount of speculation has hit a new high as to what the company’s “latest creation” is. If you are keeping score at home, here’s some of the latest guesses:

— Apple will announce a Tablet, and it will come with a Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) chip, confirming that Apple has chosen Verizon Wireless as its partner, according to Northeast Securities analyst Ashok Kumar. [TheStreet.com]

— Apple is still holding secret negotiations in New York with leading U.S. book publishers for its e-reader strategy, reports The Bookseller. HarperCollins is the only named publisher involved, but all six major U.S. publishers are likely talking with Apple (NSDQ: AAPL). AllThingsD says Time Inc. (NYSE: TWX) won’t be on the tablet. [9to5Mac.com]

— If Verizon doesn’t end up with the Tablet, then surely it will get an iPhone 4G starting in June 2011. Canaccord Adams analyst Peter MisekIn is expecting two surprises during the event. In addition to the tablet, Apple will unveil iPhone OS 4.0 and the new iPhone 4G on Verizon. [Barron’s]

— Just when you get tired about reading about Apple rumors, there’s commentary to keep you going about how “every tech news site the story is the same. Apple, Apple, Apple.” TechCrunch writes in a post entitled “Anticipating the Apple Tablet: When journalism becomes fanfiction” that “most of it reams of gushing speculation over the alleged tablet that the company is allegedly launching.” [TechCrunch]

— If you think any of these rumors are far-fetched, just check out Gizmodo’s list of the “five dumbest Apple Tablet rumors.” [Gizmodo]

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