Research in Motion is just over a month away from launching its BlackBerry PlayBook in the U.S., according to a post at Boy Genius Report citing multiple sources. Specifically, the device is rumored to hit store shelves on April 10. The company's QNX-based BlackBerry Tablet OS will reportedly reach Gold Master status on the last day of March and once users boot up their PlayBook they'll see a prompt to upgrade to the latest operating system version.
Although RIM obviously hasn't confirmed any of this, that date falls in line with the company's plan to release the tablet during "early 2011" – or more specifically the first fiscal quarter which runs until sometime before the end of May.
The 7-inch device carries a 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, dual HD cameras with support for 1080p recording, 1080p video playback support with HDMI output, 802.11a/b/g/n, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity with other BlackBerry handsets. The PlayBook measures less than an inch thick and weighs under a pound. There's no mention of price yet but previous rumors have suggested it will sell for $500 to compete with Apple's iPad tablet.