RIM adding 4G LTE, HSPA+ capability to BlackBerry PlayBook

By Molly McHugh February 14, 2011

RIM announced this morning that in addition to the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + WiMax versions of the PlayBook, it will also launch an LTE and HSPA + model of its forthcoming tablet.

“We are now building on the BlackBerry PlayBook’s many advantages with support for additional 4G networks that will allow enhanced business opportunities for carriers and developers and unparalleled mobile experiences for users,” president and co-CEO at RIM Mike Lazaridis said in a statement at Mobile World Congress.

This brings the count to four separate PlayBook tablets – Wi-Fi only, Wi-Fi + WiMax, Wi-Fi + LTE, and Wi-Fi + HSPA+. Each includes Bluetooth tethering, mobile hotspot capability, and BlackBerry Bridge (the label’s own software that enables users BlackBerry messenger, calendar, and e-mail).

RIM has yet to announce what networks will carry the tablet, but given the wide array of connectivity capabilities the various versions will have, it could be any of the large carriers. The announcement also did not include pricing or a launch date, but a screenshot surfaced last week revealing it could be $499.99 and on shelves in April. Just to be clear, that $499.99 tag was attached to the 16GB Wi-Fi only version, so if you’re interested in 4G, be prepared to pay more and possibly wait a little longer. Some sources are saying one model could launch as early as March.

Your patience may pay off, however. Another rumor out there says RIM is working with developers to create software allowing the tablet’s QNX operating system to run Android apps, giving users immediate access to more than 130,000 apps at launch. It’s possible there could be some hiccups in running Android software on a non-native OS, but it’s better than the alternative. RIM is bent on packing this thing full of features as its unveiling looms shortly ahead of us.

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Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…

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RIM announces 4G LTE PlayBook and offers to license BlackBerry 10 to other manufacturers

The BlackBerry PlayBook has been around for well over a year, but it's still ticking. Earlier this year, the PlayBook OS 2.0 update was released and now RIM has unveiled a 4G LTE version of the device. (Check out our PlayBook review to learn all about it.) RIM has promised that its new BlackBerry 10 platform will come to the PlayBook in the future, but for now, it looks like 4G LTE support is all that's in the cards, but it’s certainly a welcome addition. Available on Bell, Rogers, and TELUS in Canada on August 9, the new 4G LTE PlayBook will come with 32GB of storage but there’s no word on the price just yet.
Thorsten Heins, the RIM CEO, spoke to UK newspaper The Telegraph this week and revealed that the new BlackBerry 10 platform might be licensed to other manufacturers.
"We don’t have the economy of scale to compete against the guys who crank out 60 handsets a year," said Heins. "We have to differentiate and have a focused platform. To deliver BB10 we may need to look at licensing it to someone who can do this at a way better cost proposition than I can do it."
Whether manufacturers like HTC or Samsung would be interested in licensing BB10 is another matter. He went on to say “We’re investigating this and it’s way too early to get into any details.”

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The Angry Birds finally get a BlackBerry, as popular game lands on the PlayBook

It may seem as if Angry Birds is available on just about every platform known to man, however up until today they hadn't made it on to Research in Motion's BlackBerry devices. But before all you Curve, Bold and Torch owners go rushing off to the AppWorld, the Angry Birds have so far confined themselves to the PlayBook.
While this will upset legions of fans, those who do own the BlackBerry PlayBook will be pleased to discover it's not just the original game that's available, but all three titles. The first Angry Birds has all 288 levels of catapult fun, while Angry Birds Seasons contains 205 levels including the most recent Halloween update, although there's no mention of this year's Christmas-themed levels out now for other platforms. Finally, there's Angry Birds Rio, Rovio's film tie-in which takes an ever-so slightly mixes up the standard formula.
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The Angry Birds franchise celebrated its second birthday earlier this month, announcing the game had topped 500 million downloads, and a company valuation of more than $1 billion.

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BlackBerry PlayBook

Last week, Canada's Research in Motion cut the price on its low-end PlayBook tablet to just $200 for a limited time in an effort to woo Thanksgiving holiday shoppers to the device just as competitors like the Barnes & Noble Nook tablet and Kindle Fire went on sale. However, just as quickly as the $200 PlayBook appeared, it seems to be vanishing: retailers appear to be in the process of removing the $200 PlayBook devices from their online catalogs, and some Best Buy customers have reported their orders for the $200 tablets have been cancelled.
Complaints in Best Buy customer forums were first reported by Electronista. Quick checks of other retailers that had previously been offering the $200 tablets (Staples, Office Depot, Walmart, and RadioShack) finds the only $200 tablets listed as available are refurbished models.
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