More Blackberry Tablet Details Emerge
More details have emerged regarding RIM's supposed Blackberry tablet.
More news surrounding the supposed Blackberry tablet have surfaced, indicating that the device may include dual cameras (one front, one back) for video conferencing, a 1 GHz processor, and built-in support for Adobe Flash. The tablet is also expected to hit the market by the end of the year, pushed up from its original Q1 2011 projected release thanks to the iPad and Microsoft's upcoming Windows 7 tablets.
The first bit of Blackberry news came Friday from Ashok Kumar, an analyst and managing director at Rodman & Renshaw. Kumar claimed that the 7-inch touch-screen tablet (and not 8.9-inches as previously believed) will feature a processor from Marvell. Although no specific model or speed was given, one proposed candidate was the Marvell 1 GHz 610 processor that boasts advanced 3D graphics, full HD 1080p playback, and 16-megapixel image captures.
News of Adobe Flash support arrived on Monday. A source "close to RIM" confirmed Kumar's statements and added the additional Flash info. As we've previously reported, Flash Player 10.1 was just released to mobile platform partners and included support for Android, LiMo, MeeGo, Symbian, webOS, Windows Phone, and Blackberry. Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen also confirmed that Flash would hit Blackberry in the second half of 2010.
Although RIM has yet to confirm or deny a Blackberry tablet, the Wall Street Journal said last month that the device would connect to cellular networks via a Blackberry phone. However Friday Kumar said that the device would come packed with embedded Wi-Fi and 3G support, eliminating any previous "companion" conceptions.
If RIM definitely plans to release a 7-inch tablet by the end of the year, then expect something more official to appear before Microsoft goes public with it own Windows 7-based tablets.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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tramit I love my blackberry curve, but whats with the crazy tablet fever all these companies have....Reply -
tntom Will be interesting. RIM builds pretty solid no frills business oriented devices. This might win them back much needed mind trust. Hopefully they have jazzed up there OS.Reply -
Being a business device i hope it has an actual keyboard and stylus. Dont need a tablet version of the Storm.Reply
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maestintaolius tntomWill be interesting. RIM builds pretty solid no frills business oriented devices. This might win them back much needed mind trust. Hopefully they have jazzed up there OS.The solid, no frills OS is exactly why I love my Tour. I use it for work, not play. About the closest I get to 'playing' with the device is checking the weather forecast or the occasional youtube. I really don't see a need to muck up the device with a lot of games or fart apps when I just want something that opens up docs, email, pdfs, excel, ppts and so on. I have a real hard time seeing these slate PCs as little more than neat toys people plan on using to browse/game while watching TV. I like my Tour because I can toss it in a pocket and use it to remain connected to the main offices or use as a mini, handheld computer while I'm at the production facilities, a slate just seems too large to fill this purpose (i.e. doesn't fit in my pocket). In every case I can think of that a slate would be better than a smart phone due to its larger size/screen, I find that I'd rather have an actual laptop or tablet laptop PC.Reply -
m-manla I still favor the upcoming Asus Eee Pad. Full Windows 7 OS and a 12" screen for $500 takes the cake for me.Reply