RIM "BlackTab" BlackBerry Tablet Has 5MP Camera, Slide-Out QWERTY Tips WSJ

Rumors regarding RIM's supposed BlackBerry Tablet companion device have again flared up, this time following a Wall Street Journal report quoting "people familiar with the device" who describe a touchscreen slate with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.  The BlackBerry tablet – which we've previously heard is internally codenamed BlackPad – is tipped to have 4GB of its own onboard storage and a 5-megapixel camera, but rely on a BlackBerry smartphone for its 3G connectivity.

Other tidbits include an on-screen keyboard for use in portrait orientation (suggesting the hardware keyboard slides out when in landscape orientation) together with a universal search feature that apparently queries both local information and "some data online".  The tablet is presumed to run on BlackBerry OS 6, which RIM has confirmed will debut on a device at the end of Q3 2010.

RIM has declined to comment on the speculation, and it's unclear how much new information the WSJ acquired and how much of the story is based on previous reports.  Last we heard there was some disagreement among RIM executives as to whether the BlackTab project was a sensible direction for the company to go in.