Rumored BlackBerry tablet may be dropping a size and upping the specs
You may have heard rumors a few months ago regarding a BlackBerry tablet from the team over at Research In Motion (RIM). Whereas those original stories were indicating a larger 9-inch iPad style device, the latest information from analyst Ashok Kumar now points to a smaller 7-inch size for a more portable MID in line with a large number of recent and upcoming tablets. The report also states that the new device will up the ante with regards to hardware using a 1GHz processor and featuring two cameras for video calling, one front facing and one rear facing.
With Marvell currently supplying chips for BlackBerry devices such as the 9700 Bold, it's speculated that a possible candidate for the processor could be the 1GHz Marvell Armada 610, an impressive ARMv7 core chip (same as the Cortex-A8), with an integrated 3D graphics unit designed for tablets, MIDs and e-readers. The chip is also capable of playing back 1080p full HD video.
As one of the major players with a large market share in the smartphone market, it will be interesting to see how RIM tries to expand its product portfolio if this BlackBerry tablet materializes. Originally rumored for early 2011, we may see it released by the end of the year. Would you be interested in a powerful 7-inch BlackBerry tablet? Let us know what you think.
[CNET via Ubergizmo]
