10-inch BlackBerry PlayBook appears online

Since the BlackBerry PlayBook was announced, there have been many rumours indicating that Research in Motion (RIM) was making a tablet with a larger-sized display. This tablet was dubbed the 10-inch PlayBook. Then came rumours that suggest the Canadian smartphone manufacturer had decided to shelve those plans to focus on a QNX-based smartphone. However, it appears that the 10-inch PlayBook may well be in the making. A user called vuhai6 from a Vietnam-based forum Tinhte has posted several images of what he claims is the 10-inch version of the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Commenting on the images, the poster claims that he does not have the device with himself but has acquired the images from a source who is involved in the sales of BlackBerry devices. Along with the 10-inch version of the BlackBerry PlayBook, the forum also has displays images of what appears to be the 4G version of the PlayBook. The forum member states, “Playbook 4G 7-inch design is no different from Wi-Fi version and like what we've seen before. 10-inch version is completely new and this is the first time that it appears, the machine is similar in size with 7.9-inch iPad. Rather special point is also 10-inch PlayBook sim slot, the machine is likely to support LTE 4G network. Its design resembles his brother, to the screen edges, square design and slim profile”.

The 10-inch Playbook emerges

The question remains as to when the 10-inch version of the PlayBook will be announced and a leaked roadmap that surfaced earlier shows a whole line up of upcoming BlackBerry devices.

Some of the important dates mentioned in the roadmap are:

• 4G PlayBook - Q4, 2012
• BlackBerry 10 London/Nevada - Q1, 2013 - Europe launch before N. America
• BlackBerry 10 Upgrade for PlayBook - Q1/Q2, 2013
• BlackBerry device codenamed "Nashville" - Q2/Q3, 2013
• BlackBerry 10 inch PlayBook "Blackforest" - Q3, 2013
• BlackBerry device codenamed "Naples" - Q3/Q4, 2013

Speculation has been rife about a 10-inch PlayBook, since the launch of the 7-inch PlayBook. Rumours have been doing the rounds for as long as a year about RIM freezing the plans to make a 10-inch PlayBook until they push out the BlackBerry 10. The device codenamed “Blackforest” has long been rumoured to be a 10-inch BlackBerry tablet. The roadmap shows that this device is slated for Q3 of 2013.

RIM has been suffering major losses owing to stiff competition from the slew of Android and iOS devices. In an extremely short span of time, the once-renowned mobile manufacturer has found itself in dire straits. Ex-CEO Jim Balsillie was touted to have solutions to the issues the ailing company was facing, but in what seems like a tad impetuous move, he was replaced with current CEO Thorsten Heins. Things don't seem to have got better under his supervision. Talk of a partnership with Microsoft made news, so did speculations of tying up with Google. However, RIM’s current CEO released a statement that indicated that in spite of their current situation, the company was determined to take care of themselves, and wished to stick with their own BlackBerry OS rather than opt for third party choices.

Hopefully, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and the next generation BlackBerry 10 devices will resurrect the brand.