Ah, the PS3 Slim. Rumor magnet. First we heard that one existed, and then we saw what was said to be images of the device. Following that, Destructoid recieved a janky e-mailed cease and dessist letter that we laughed at.  Things calmed down for a bit, but now we hear that Sony has awarded two Taiwanese firms manufacturing contracts, and that units are slated to be delivered by July.

According to the rumor, Taiwanese companies Foxconn and Pegatron have signed agreements to make the flattened-out console. Both of these companies have manufactured the original PS3, mind you. This falls in line with the other rumors of a August price cut. Joystiq says that these units are slated to start shipping in July "to cope with expected summer vacation demands."

I think we've heard enough about the system to believe that it's real. I don't doubt it. Now I'm curious about the pricing and features. I'd bet that backwards compatibility has been left out. But what else has?