Apple may be preparing to shake up the music industry again, this time by introducing an interactive digital album that may or may not be destined for a Steve Jobs-designed Apple tablet.
The new album format, currently codenamed 'Cocktail,' is designed to deliver more than just music to consumers, with Apple and the four major record labels hoping that customers will be drawn to features such as photos, lyrics sheets, video clips and liner notes to increase paid downloads. Apple is working with EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music and Universal Music Group for a September launch of Cocktail, according to a Reuters report.
But as it did with the iTunes music store, Apple may also be preparing to roll out a new piece of hardware for these new digital downloads. Rumors about an Apple tablet have been circulating for what seems like years.
This latest round of Apple tablet rumors is being spurred on by Apple Insider, which is reporting that the device is part of the Cupertino Crew's 2010 roadmap and will be launched in the first quarter of next year. Apple Insider also reports that the tablet became one of Steve Jobs' own pet products, which may have delayed the development and release of the device until it met Jobs' exacting standards.
Early word indicates that the long rumored Apple tablet will be something of an upsized iPod Touch. The screen will reportedly measure 10-inches and the device will be capable of connecting to the Web.
Price on the Apple tablet -- like any other official details -- has yet to be disclosed but the blogosphere is buzzing that the device will fill the netbook niche that Apple has decided to ignore, with the traditional premium that Jobs and Co. attach to their hardware. So, while netbooks tend to max out around $500, speculation holds that the Apple tablet will likely run about $800.
It seems likely that a tablet device from Apple is in the near future, and the rollout of the new Cocktail album format would mirror Apple's past patterns. It's unlike Apple to release a mobile device -- notebooks excluded -- that doesn't have reoccurring revenue play tied into it: the iPhone has the iTunes store and downloads; the iPhone has the App Store.
And assuming the device does meet Jobs' exacting standards, then it is likely that Apple is gearing up to release a device that is called a tablet but that will probably redefine the category entirely.
