BlackBerry PlayBook gets pricing; preorders start
The RIM tablet, which debuted last year, will finally hit stores in the U.S. and Canada on April 19, with prices mirroring those of the Wi-Fi-only iPad 2.
At long last, the BlackBerry PlayBook is finally available for preorder. The Wi-Fi-equipped Playbook will come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions, which will be $499, $599, and $699, respectively. Notably, this mirrors the iPad 2's pricing exactly, at least for the Wi-Fi-only models. The PlayBook will be in Best Buy stores starting April 19 in the U.S. and in Canada. The tablet will also be available in Best Buy Mobile stores in the U.S. and Future Shop stores in Canada. If you want to get a head start, you can start placing your preorders today beginning at 8 a.m. ET.
As a refresher, the PlayBook runs on the QNX platform, which allows for robust multitasking. It also has a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, Micro-HDMI output, 1080p video playback, a 5-megapixel camera on the back, and a 3-megapixel camera on the front. The display measures only 7 inches diagonally. For more of our impressions of the PlayBook, check out our initial blog post and a video we shot of it at CES 2011.