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RIM to launch 'BlackPad' tablet in November?

By

On July 30, 2010, 5:32 PM

rim, blackp
Rumors about an upcoming BlackBerry tablet continue to crop up. The latest tidbits of information come from a report published on Bloomberg News, which claims two people familiar with RIM's plans have confirmed the company plans to enter with touch screen tablet market this November with the 'Blackpad'. The hardware is said to sport a 9.7-inch screen, identical to the iPad's dimensions, and will come equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology.

As implied by earlier rumors, RIM's tablet will function as a companion to BlackBerry phones since it won't have its own 3G connection, but rather should allow users to connect to the Internet on the go through their BlackBerry phones. The report also claims that price for the Blackpad will be in line with Apple's tablet, the cheapest model starting at $499.

Next week, the company is holding a press conference where it's expected to unveil the latest BlackBerry OS, as well as a new smartphone featuring touch screen technology and a slider keyboard. It's unclear if the Blackpad will be part of their presentation. When and if the device comes to fruition, the road is likely to be a rocky one for RIM. Not only they'll have to go up against Apple's successful iPad, but also against a slew of Android tablets expected to debut in the near future.

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6 comments

User Comments: 6

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  1. July 30, 2010 7:39 PM
    Guest said:

    Wait...so I'll pay $500 for a tablet that requires my phone to be connected to it? Anyone else see the issue here? lol

    Reply
  2. July 30, 2010 8:45 PM
    casperinmd said:

    @guest

    Yes, while the Blackberry tablet could do extremely well in business due to their heavy ability to control company assets like the penetration they have with Blackberry phones, they screwed up not having 3G...what a shame, damn, what a shame.

    Reply
  3. July 30, 2010 10:33 PM
    Tekkaraiden
    Tekkaraiden said:

    Unless this has some serious power and a pretty impressive OS I can't see this doing all that well.

    Reply
  4. July 31, 2010 8:28 AM
    treeski
    treeski said:

    I wish companies would drop this terrible *pad* naming convention for tablets...

    Reply
  5. July 31, 2010 5:16 PM
    tengeta
    tengeta said:

    They need to make an entirely new OS before promising crap like this... but I guess we will see.

    Reply
  6. July 31, 2010 5:20 PM
    tullriles said:

    The more competition that jumps in with these devices can only drive down the prices of the existing ones....not a bad thing for the consumer.

    Reply

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