Apple Tablet Use Spotted

Flurry Analytics, which provides analytics tools to mobile app developers, has spotted the use of about 50 devices that seem to fit the characteristics of an Apple tablet. Flurry first noticed the device in September 2009, but says that it has been seen more frequently in the past month and that all of the devices are being used on Apple’s campus in Cupertino, California.

One of the hotly debated aspects of the yet-to-be-announced device is the operating system that it will run. Some have suggested that it will run a full version of Mac OS X, while others have held that it will run iPhone OS and still others believe that it will run something in the middle. The devices that Flurry has witnessed are running iPhone apps, which is how they were able to identify them in the first place, which lends credence to the idea that the device will run iPhone OS or at least be compatible with it. Even more telling is that the devices are running OS 3.2, which is not far off from the current iPhone OS version number of 3.1.2. Flurry also notes Apple’s tendency to release operating system updates just before hardware releases.

Flurry has observed the use of 200 apps on the devices, which it has categorized and graphed:

Interestingly, Apple is focusing on testing gaming apps on the device, with entertainment and news & books also receiving attention. The heavy focus on news and books is in line with rumors that Apple has been talking with newspaper and book publishers about featuring their content on the tablet. However, comparatively little testing is being done in other areas, such as music and social networking.

Apple is expected to officially announce the device during its event on Wednesday, 27 January and begin shipping it in March.