It was Apple that set the price of the iPad at a standard $499 for a 16GB WiFi only version, and now it seems to work fine for all major players in this overcrowded market. RIM was the latest manufacturer to adopt this new pricing model. The Canadian company, originally known for their Blackberry smartphones, has just announced an April 19th release date for their BlackBerry PlayBook line of tablets, both in Canada and the US. And as you might be able to understand from the above, RIM’s average sales price followed the same pattern that Cupertino had already begun to offer: $499 for the 16GB version, $599 for the 32GB model and $699 for the 64GB flavor. Canadian retailers such as Best Buy and Future Shop are also expect to sell the Playbook for around the same price, only in local currency. Full PR after the break.
Update1: And the rumor was right on spot, RIM just announced that its upcoming Playbook tablet will support both BlackBerry Java and Android apps. Great news, considering the fact this would actually include native C/C++ development support, HTML5, Flash and AIR support. Clearly a move that significantly impact the Playbook apps market. More about it after the break.
Update2: And looks like RIM’s latest and greatest dual-core Playbook device is finally up for a purchase, both in Canada and the US, while prices on Uncle Sam’s biggest electronic retailer, Best Buy, start at $500 for the 16GB model, and climb up to $600 for the 32GB model and $700 for the 64GB flavor. Tablet wars are definitely on the rise, now!
Update3: According to analysts, the Playbook sold an estimated 25,000 tablets in pre-order stage and another 20,000 in retail stores. “If correct, 45K+ sell through on the first day would be a success,” Misek wrote in his research note (Analyst Peter Misek of Jeffries & Co).