Research In Motion may debut a tablet computer next week at a conference for developers, according to the Wall Street Journal. RIM, has been widely expected to join the tablet market this year with a product dubbed BlackPad. RIM recently claimed the www.blackpad.com domain name, fueling the speculation.

According to the WSJ, BlackPad will have a seven-inch touch-screen, built-in cameras, and link wirelessly to cellular networks through BlackBerry smartphones. The device will most probably run a new operating system built by QNX Software Systems, a company aleady owned by RIM. The Jounal added that Quanta Computer will build the device and Marvell Technology Group will provide the semiconductor.

Apple earlier this year unleashed the hot-selling iPad tablet computers and firms have been racing to field competing devices.

Samsung Electronics is one of the latest entrants to the tablet market, having struck deals with four U.S. carriers to begin selling its "Galaxy S" tablet running on Google's Android operating system during the coming holiday season.