SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Apple Inc. is set to unveil the much-rumored tablet device later in January, but doesn't plan on shipping the product until March, U.S. media reported on Monday.

    While the shipping time hasn't been finalized and could change, the new device will come with a 10- to 11-inch touch screen, The Wall Street Journal said in a report, citing people briefed on the matter.

    Analysts believe the device will be priced at about 1,000 U.S. dollars, possibly including a subscription to a nationwide Wi-Fi wireless service, the newspaper said.

    The tablet, seen by some as Apple's most important move after the iPhone, is expected to be a multimedia device that will let people watch movies and television shows, play games, surf the Internet, and read electronic books and newspapers.

    According to All Things Digital, a technology blog affiliated with The Wall Street Journal, it is likely that Apple will unveil the device on Jan. 27 at an event held in San Francisco.

    Apple is indeed planning an event later this month "at which the company will announce a major new product," a posting on the blog said on Monday, quoting sources "in a position to know."