BlackBerry Playbook Now Available In the US and Canada For As Little As $499

Yes, it's true! RIM is now shipping their BlackBerry Playbook tablets in North America if you head over to your local Best Buy or their website. The 7-inch dual-core CPU packing tablet is running a new OS made by QNX and it should support Android apps in the future. The tablet will be pretty good for you if you use a BlackBerry as a smartphone. Check them out on Best Buy right now: 16GB here, 32GB here, and 64GB here; it'll cost you $499, $599, and $699, respectively.

[Engadget]

Bell Reminds Us That the BlackBerry Playbook Is Coming Soon, So Sign-Up For It

Okay, so maybe the HP Touchpad is not your thing because you're not willing to wait until the Summer or maybe because you love RIM and you look forward to the BlackBerry Playbook supporting Android apps. Whatever the case may be, Bell has just put up the sign-up page for this tablet. The prices are already known and Bell is confirming that it's "Coming Soon". This will be available in under a week, on April 19th. Check it out on Bell.

[Mobile Syrup]

Radio Shack Now Taking Pre-Orders For the 16GB WiFi BlackBerry Playbook

Still waiting on the BlackBerry Playbook from RIM? Well, you can now pre-order one from Radio Shack if you have $499 handy for the 16GB WiFi-only model. The choice is yours if you want to pick this up over an iPad 2 which has a 2.7-inch larger display and a countless number of apps. However, don't forget that the Playbook runs an OS made by QNX and will support Android apps in the future. Furthermore, you can check out reviews for the Playbook now - all you have to do is Google it. Check it out on Radio Shack.

[BGR]

Office Depot Now Taking Pre-Orders For the BlackBerry Playbook, Shipping April 19th

The tablet that you might be waiting for is almost here. The BlackBerry Playbook is now available for pre-order at Office Depot. Prices are the same as the iPad 2 so now you have a choice to make. The 16GB model will cost you $499, 32GB for $599, and 64GB for $699. For now they're only WiFi models so you're going to have to wait a bit more for those 3G and 4G models. Check it out on Office Depot if you want to pre-order one.

Update: BGR has just pointed out that the Playbook will be available at Office Depot starting on April 19th - as expected!

[CrackBerry]

RIM Officially Announces That the Playbook Will Support Android Apps!

RIM has just announced something extremely great for future BlackBerry Playbook owners and Android app developers. The Playbook will officially support "over 25,000 BlackBerry Java apps and more than 200,000 Android apps." That's great news for everyone because it seems like nowadays it's all about the apps. The bad news is that the Playbook won't be able to run Android apps initially at launch and they'll be demoing the ability to run Android apps at BlackBerry World on May 3 to 5 in Orlando.

[CrackBerry]

BlackBerry Playbook Pre-Orders Now Live In US and Canada, Launch Set For April 19th

RIM has just unveiled the official prices for their upcoming BlackBerry Playbook tablet and they're just what we were expecting. They're right in line with the iPad prices so the 16GB WiFi model will cost $499 and then the 32GB and 64GB models cost $599 and $699, respectively. In the US you'll be able to pick one up at AT&T, Best Buy, Office Depot, RadioShack, Sprint, and even Staples. This will be available on April 19th so mark it down on your calendar if you're interested in a 7-inch tablet.

Update: If you live in the US then you can pre-order it on Best Buy now.

Update: If you live in Canada then Mobile Syrup has your back. They have just mentioned that Future Shop and Best Buy are actually now taking pre-orders for the tablet as well! Same prices; awesome stuff! Don't worry, you'll be seeing the Playbook everywhere. Retailers include: Bell, Best Buy, Chapters / Indigo, Costco, Future Shop, Mobilicity, MTS Allstream, Rogers, Sasktel, Sears, ShopBlackBerry.com, Staples, Telus, Tbooth Wireless, The Source, Videotron, Walmart, WIND Mobile, WIRELESS etc. and WIRELESSWAVE.

[Tech Crunch]

BlackBerry 4G Playbook Page Now Live On Sprint, Still On Track For Summer

Sprint has just put up a new page for the 4G BlackBerry Playbook. This one should be like the original Playbook but this one will, obviously, feature WiMAX connectivity. Unfortunately, this one's still scheduled for a Summer launch so don't think that this one's coming sooner just because the page is up. We should be seeing more of this tomorrow at the carrier's CTIA event. Check it out on Sprint if you don't believe me.

[BGR]

3 UK Launching Samsung Galaxy S2 Mini, Nokia X7, LG Optimus 3D, HTC Flyer, BB Playbook

3 UK may have just leaked some juicy information regarding some upcoming smartphones. Apparently, Samsung is prepping a Galaxy S2 Mini for the future and the launch is reportedly set for April on the carrier. Specs are going to include a 3.7-inch WVGA touchscreen display, a 5MP AF camera with an LED flash, a VGA front-facing camera, HSDPA connectivity, WiFi n / Bluetooth support, GPS, a 1.4GHz CPU, WiFi hotspot capabilities, and Android "Gingerbread" with the Touchwiz UI. This is classified as a high-end handset and I'm actually looking to pick this one up because I really like 3.7-inch displays. Don't worry, there's more!

Moving along, it looks like the Symbian^3 based Nokia X7 - that won't be hitting AT&T anymore - will be headed to 3 UK this June, along with the LG Optimus 3D. In May you can expect the 7-inch HTC Flyer tablet and in June you'll be able to pick up a WiFi-only BlackBerry Playbook. Interesting stuff, I'm looking forward to them all!

[Engadget]

Sprint's CTIA Announcements Leak: HTC EVO 3D, EVO View 4G, Motorola XOOM, BB Playbook

Well, Sprint's CTIA announcements have just been spoiled. BGR has just broke the news that they'll be announcing the HTC EVO 3D, EVO View 4G, Motorola XOOM, the Samsung Rant 3, and a WiFi-only BlackBerry Playbook as well as one with WiMAX connectivity. Pretty awesome stuff. Now, let's get into the specs, shall we?

First off, we have the EVO 3D which is said to feature a 4.3-inch qHD 3D display (960 x 540 resolution), a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 8660 CPU, a 5MP camera, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, a 1,730mAh battery, an HDMI port that will output 1080p and even 720p video, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of ROM, and Android 2.3 with the Sense UI. The smartphone is also said to have the Blockbuster 3D app as well as YouTube 3D. If you're buying into the 3D trend then this may actually be the phone for you.

Next up is reportedly the EVO View 4G. This one will be sporting a 7-inch display (1,024 x 600 resolution), an aluminum unibody, a 5MP camera, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, WiFi b/g/n / Bluetooth 3.0 support, a 4,000mAh battery, DLNA, HDMI output, and Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" with the Sense UI. It's pretty much exactly like we've been hearing. An HTC Flyer with WiMAX capabilities. Not exactly the best tablet on the market.

Moving along we have the XOOM which will be exactly like the Verizon model but it'll have WiMAX capabilities instead. No clue if it'll initially ship with the device. There's also word on the Samsung Rant 3 which is the most uninteresting of the bunch. This one is said to be a 3G touchscreen handset which is reportedly eco-friendly since it'll have a solar panel on the door... or something like that. The last one is the BlackBerry Playbook which Sprint will be announcing. It'll come in two models, like I said: WiFi-only and WiMAX. I'm assuming there'll be a regular 3G model as well. Definitely quite a big showing for Sprint, so this event should be exciting.

[BGR, Android Central]

Staples Leak Shows A Bunch of Tablets Coming This Year; 8.9-Inch Samsung, 10-Inch HTC, 7-Inch HP, and More!

Wow, another huge Staples leak has just been spotted and it's coming from their training guide - the one below is coming from a "major retailer" as well, but it could also be Staples. If this isn't the year of the tablets then I don't know what is. The leak shows several tablets that'll be launching this year. We'll just go in order starting with the Motorola XOOM which could be launching this week (March 17th) for $649; it's looking like this one will be the WiFi-only model. Next up is RIM's BlackBerry Playbook which could be launching on March 27th for $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), and $699 (64GB). Keep in mind that this date might have moved to April. There's also word on the 7-inch Dell Streak 7 which will be launching in late March / April as well; price for that one should be $449 as well - it's already available on T-Mobile.

Now, for the coming soon tablets we have a bunch of them running on Android "Honeycomb" which is great news. We have the 8.9-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab which should be announced next week, the Dell Streak 10, a 10-inch Acer, and a 10-inch Toshiba. It's unknown what the 10-inch Acer tablet will be but it could be the Eee Pad EP101TC, which is a complete guess. The 10-inch Toshiba has been teased by them since January but they have yet to make it official. There's also word on a 10-inch HTC Android "Honeycomb" tablet that's on the way. This one hasn't been announced yet but I'm definitely looking forward to it!

Last, but definitely not least there's word on the 10-inch HP Touchpad running on the next version of webOS along with an unannounced 7-inch model. This will likely get announced at the company's next event which is in a few weeks. Amazing stuff!

[DROID-Life, Pre Central]

WiFi-Only BlackBerry Playbook Hits the FCC In 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB Models

An upcoming tablet that should be making its way onto the scene soon has just been spotted and tested by the FCC. It's RIM's BlackBerry Playbook and the FCC has confirmed that it'll come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models - exactly like Apple's iPad and iPad 2. Which carrier is this for? Well, we don't know because this is just the WiFi-only model. Launch should be in Q2 which kicks off next month (April). Check it out at the FCC.

[Engadget]

Mobile City Now Taking $599 Pre-Orders For the BlackBerry Playbook

Mobile City is back at it again. This time they are actually now taking pre-orders for the upcoming BlackBerry Playbook tablet at $599.99. According to the e-tailer, the retail price is $899 but there's no word on how much internal memory this comes with. The rest of the specs are exactly what you'd expect though. Pre-order one now if you think it's better than the iPad 2.

[Liliputing]

T-Mobile USA Could Launch the Storm 3 and Playbook; Playbook Rumoured For April 10 Launch

There's a rumour going around that two upcoming RIM devices will be headed to T-Mobile USA. The first one will be the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, which apparently "will arrive soon", while the other one will be the Storm 3, which could launch in Q3. Apparently, this rumour is coming from some BlackBerry reps at certain meetings. It sounds sketchy at this point so take it with a grain of salt.

Update: According to BGR, their tipsters have mentioned that this tablet could actually be launching on April 10th - not necessarily T-Mobile. Rumoured price tag for the 16GB model is said to be $499 so it definitely has a chance to be pretty popular.

[TMoNews]

RIM Announces BlackBerry Playbook Also Coming In LTE and HSPA+ Models, Coming In H2

Coming straight from RIM is word that their BlackBerry Playbook will be getting WiFi + LTE and WiFi + HSPA+ models - along with the already-announced WiFi + WiMAX model. Unfortunately, these two new models won't be available until the second half of the year which means sometime from July to December. RIM is looking like they're really taking the competition seriously and they know that they're definitely going to do something big if they want to be relevant in the tablet war. With the next iPad and all of these Android powered tablets on the way, they're going to have a tough time.

[Engadget]

Bloomberg Says That the BlackBerry Playbook Will Be Running Android Apps

Bloomberg is back at it again and this time they've mentioned that RIM's BlackBerry Playbook will definitely be running Android apps. The firm also mentions that RIM won't be using Dalvik which was rumoured before but running Android apps is definitely a step in the right direction. I wonder how RIM will talk their way into asking Google for access to their Android Market. Will they need to? I'm not really sure but this is great news for folks who are already ready to purchase this tablet.

[BGR]

16GB WiFi BlackBerry Playbook To Cost $499 At Office Depot

Well, well, well. It looks like there's another place that we'll be seeing the BlackBerry Playbook. The leaked image above states that Office Depot will also be getting it and they plan to release the 16GB model with WiFi for $499.99 which is right on par with the current iPad. It also states an in-store date of Week 17 which is mid-April; right on pace with the rumour mill. The biggest part about this leak is that we finally get a price on this tablet.

[CrackBerry]

BlackBerry Playbook To Hit Staples and Probably Verizon As Well

According to the leaked document that you see above RIM may be planning to launch their BlackBerry Playbook at your local Staples. Yes, Staples. The leaked training document says that their employees will be training for BlackBerry Tablets starting on March 16th which could mean the launch will be in late Q1 / early Q2. It's just a rumour right now but it's looking legit.

Update: Coming from Engadget via BlackBerry Playbook Without Limits is word that the Playbook could also be coming to Verizon as well. The evidence is in the photo below, which is looking quite official. This is definitely on a collision course with the next iPad and the Motorola XOOM.

[CrackBerry]

RIM Prepping 1 Million BlackBerry Playbooks For Q1?

Coming from DigiTimes is word that RIM is preparing 1 million units of the BlackBerry PlayBook. This is going to be made by Quanta, the same company making about 800,000 Motorola Xoom tablets for the same quarter. Obviously, RIM is being more optimistic by making 200,000 more units than Motorola but we'll just have to see how the sales go. I'm pretty sure that the PlayBook will reign supreme in Canada though since the Android adoption up here isn't as fast as in the US.

[Mobile Syrup]

RIM's BlackBerry Playbook Confirmed To Have TI's OMAP4430 Dual-Core 1GHz CPU

Someone has finally come out and confirmed what's powering the RIM BlackBerry Playbook. Brian Carlson, Texas Instrument's product line manager, has told EETimes that the Playbook is running on a new dual-core OMAP4430 CPU which is clocked at 1GHz. Sadly, this isn't the company's most powerful chip since they have a dual-core 1.5GHz OMAP4440 CPU as well. Getting back on track, the TI OMAP4430 packs two ARM Cortex A9 chips together and it's capable of Full HD video playback. Apparently, RIM chose this CPU over Nvidia's Tegra 2 chipset because TI's chip has MShield mobile security technology to enhance security "to protect content, transactions and network access."

[Slash Gear]

BlackBerry 4G Playbook Exclusively Hitting Sprint This Summer

At CES, RIM showed off their BlackBerry Playbook a bit more. This time they announced that the BlackBerry 4G Playbook will be hitting Sprint in the Summer. Obviously, this will have 4G capabilities so it'll likely feautre WiMAX unless Sprint rolls out some new network which likely won't happen. Look out for it in a few months!

[Engadget]