RIM says committed to PlayBook amid price cuts

Advertisement
By Agence France Presse | Updated: 6 June 2012 15:31 IST
Highlights
  • BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) dismissed a report that it was pulling the plug on its PlayBook tablet computer.
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) dismissed a report on Thursday that it was pulling the plug on its PlayBook tablet computer.

Major US retailers, meanwhile, slashed the price of the PlayBook by up to $200. The move comes a day after Amazon unveiled a tablet rival with a $199 price tag.

RIM stressed its commitment to the PlayBook after Collins Stewart analyst John Vihn said the Canadian company has stopped production of the device.

"Any suggestion that the BlackBerry PlayBook is being discontinued is pure fiction," RIM said.

"RIM remains highly committed to the tablet market."

Sales of the PlayBook have been sluggish since the device went on sale in mid-April with a $499 price tag for the 16-gigabyte model, $599 for the 32GB version and $699 for the 64GB model.

Best Buy, Staples and Office Max were offering the PlayBook for $299, $399 and $499 on Thursday. Office Depot was selling the device for $100 off.

The PlayBook was still being offered for its original price at RIM's online store and through US carrier Sprint.

Amazon unveiled a tablet computer, the Kindle Fire, on Wednesday which costs $199, less than half the price of the market-leading iPad from Apple.

The cheapest iPad costs $499.

During its last quarterly earnings report RIM said it had shipped 200,000 PlayBooks in the quarter. Analysts had expected shipments of 700,000.

Apple sold 9.25 million iPads last quarter.

RIM shares have plunged recently as the Waterloo, Ontario-based company struggles to compete with Apple's iPhone and smartphones powered by Google's Android platform.

RIM shares, which have lost half of their value since the beginning of the year, shed 3.37 percent on Wall Street on Thursday to close at $21.16.

During an earnings call with analysts, RIM co-chief executive Mike Lazaridis said the past few quarters have been "challenging" but expressed confidence the company is "on track to return to growth in the third quarter and beyond."

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Tecno Pova 8 Pro 5G Tonino Lamborghini Limited Edition Unveiled
  2. Lingverse iKairos Debuts as a Desktop Robot and Wearable AI Pendant
  3. Xiaomi Smart Band 11 Active With a 1.47-Inch Screen Debuts: See Price
  4. iPhone 18 Pro Max Roundup: Everything We Know Ahead of Launch
  5. Alienware 15 Arrives on Flipkart: Is This the Ultimate Mid-Range Gaming Powerhouse?
  6. Xiaomi Power Bank 20000mAh 165W to Launch in India On This Day
  1. IFA 2026: Lenovo Unveiled New IdeaPad, Yoga and ThinkBook Laptops
  2. IFA 2026: Nvidia RTX Spark PCs, Local AI Tools Announced With October Launch Planned
  3. WhatsApp Reportedly Rolling Out Third-Party AI Agent Chats to Android Users
  4. Luna Band Now Available Globally: Check Price in India, Specifications and Features
  5. Pocket Bitcoin Data Breach Exposes Personal and Financial Information of 5,411 Customers
  6. Google Pixel Watch 5 Stephen Curry Special Edition Goes on Sale: Price, Features and More
  7. IFA 2026: Noise Master Buds Open With Sound by Bose Technology Unveiled
  8. Binance Warns of Phishing Scam Targeting Crypto Users With Fake Account Security Alerts
  9. Oppo Find X10 Pro Max, Find X10 India Launch Seems Imminent as Phones Appear on Certification Site
  10. Xiaomi Smart Band 11 Active Launched With Up to 21 Days of Battery Life; Smart Band 11 Price, Features Revealed
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.