14 DAY TRIAL // Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion is reportedly gearing up for the launch of its BlackBerry PlayBook in more markets around the world, with a targeted availability of the device in Australia before the end of this month.
The PlayBook is the first tablet PC from the company, featuring a 7-inch touchscreen display, a powerful application processor inside, and a new operating system, based on QNX.
No official info on the matter emerged from RIM, but some of the latest reports on the matter suggest that June 20th would be the lucky day for enthusiasts in Australia.
Moreover, some info on the possible pricing of this device on the local market also emerged, suggesting that the WiFi 16GB model might go for as much as $579.
If so, the PlayBook will be priced similarly with the Apple iPad 2, which offers a larger screen, and is seen as a better device.
Apparently, the BlackBerry PlayBook should make it to the airwaves of all major wireless carriers in the country, including Optus, Telstra and Vodafone.
What remains to be seen is when would each of these carriers plan on making the tablet PC available for purchase, and what offerings they would have in place for the device.
The BlackBerry PlayBook was unveiled to the world in September last year, with a dual-core application processor inside, and with the new BlackBerry Tablet OS, which seems pretty appealing too.
The device comes with all of the features that any user would like to enjoy on a mobile device, including WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, GPS receiver, support for multitasking, fast access to services and email, and more.
The PlayBook also comes with two cameras, one on the back, featuring 1080p HD video recording capabilities, and one of the front, for video calling.
Overall, the PlayBook seems to be a great device, but it failed to impress users as much as RIM might have wanted it to. The device's launch was delayed by a few months, and analysts lowered their sales expectations for the first 12 months of availability to only one third of the initial previsions.