Not even the always-secretive Apple is safe from the watchful eyes of the analytics companies. Flurry, the app analytics firm, has released a report showing some suspicious tablet activity at 1 Infinite Loop, Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.
Flurry reports about 50 devices that “match the characteristics of the tablet,” which have been ravenously downloading apps at Apple’s headquarters over the past couple of weeks. The report cites more than 200 apps in use by testers, adding that the bulk of the apps have consisted of games, entertainment, news and books.
The company added that it could “reliably place these devices geographically on Apple’s Cupertino campus.”
As a result, the company said it has a fair level of confidence that it is observing a group of pre-release tablets in testing. Flurry reports that activity on the device increased dramatically in January, with the earliest signs of an Apple tablet seen in early October of last year.
Flurry concludes that the device will be aimed at consumers who want to take their games and entertainment with them on the go, and that it is not a direct threat to home systems that offer similar media, such as stereos, gaming consoles and TVs. Citing supply chain reports from Asia that indicate a lightweight device, Flurry says the tablet has portability written all over it.
True portability would suggest 3G connectivity from at least one U.S. carrier. A spokesman for Verizon Wireless said that the carrier has no immediate plans for the kind of tiered data pricing one would expect on such a device.
However, Fox News recently reported that while Apple may not announce a carrier partner for the tablet at this week’s upcoming event, Verizon Wireless and AT&T will be tapped to offer connectivity. Fox cites “sources at both companies” as confirming they will support the device.