BlackBerry, Samsung and IBM team up to produce a high security tablet

BlackBerry, in conjunction with Samsung and IBM, has introduced a secure tablet that will launch sometime this summer. The slate will be priced in the area of $2380. Called the SecuTablet, the device is based on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5. The tablet employs the Secusmart encryption technology that is now owned by BlackBerry after the latter's acquisition of Secusmart last July.

Secusmart's encryption technology is already employed by the German and Canadian government and is used to prevent people from spying on the slate. IBM's contribution is software that enables the user to securely separate work and personal apps on the same device. Hans-Christoph Quelle, Secusmart's CEO, says that anyone who knows how to use Android should be able to work the tablet.

The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet was launched in 2011 and no sequel was ever released. Shockingly, the slate came to market without an email client or a calendar, omissions that were corrected by a future software update. The device was powered by the QNX OS, which was used to build the BlackBerry 10 OS. With the hefty price tag, the SecuTablet is obviously a device for business users; this is a market that still counts on BlackBerry's focus on security.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 features a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600. That works out a pixel density of  288ppi. Powering the slate is an octa-core 1.9GHz Exynos 5420 CPU. The ARM Mali-T628 MP6 GPU handles graphics. 3GB of RAM is on board along with 32GB of native storage. Those needing additional memory can turn to the 128GB capacity microSD slot. An 8MP camera is on back while a 2.1MP shooter adorns the front of the tablet. A 7900mAh battery keeps the lights on, and Android 4.4.2 is pre-installed.

source: WSJ