Hours after France Telecom deputy CEO, Stéphane Richard, apparently confirmed the presence of an Apple tablet in a radio interview, Orange now claims that they were misinterpreted and they did not confirm the presence of the Apple tablet.

Here is the part of the interview (translated into English; original interview was in French) where Orange deputy CEO, Stéphane Richard, allegedly confirms the Apple tablet:

Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: According to weekly Le Point, in a couple of days Apple will be launching its tablet computer …
Stéphane Richard: Yes.
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: … equipped with a webcam.
Stéphane Richard: Yes.
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: Are Orange customers going to be able to enjoy it?
Stéphane Richard: Of course!

This interview sent everyone into a tizzy. However Orange has now issued a statement saying that it was misinterpreted and that they were in no way confirming the Apple tablet. Here is what Orange had to say:

These responses in no way reflect Orange’s confirmation of the existence of the rumoured device. The spokesperson was merely confirming that he is aware of the speculation surrounding a launch and that Orange would be delighted to have such a product were it ever to be available.

Right now it is difficult to tell if Orange is merely trying to cover up their goof up or they were actually misinterpreted. Orange has spilled the bean about upcoming Apple devices before when the Orange CEO told journalists that they will be supplying iPhone in France before the official announcement in 2007.

[source: paidcontent.uk]

[image credit: TGDaily]