Sprint: No 4G PlayBook For Us

Another small piece of the already-breaking-apart Blackberry brand has died, thanks to an announcement that many saw as likely if not inevitable.

The one device that seemed to bring a shimmer of hope back to Blackberry and company Research in Motion, just lost a big supporter.

Sprint, which has the largest-scale 4G network in place among all major mobile carriers right now, has decided to drop plans to release a 4G version of the Blackberry Playbook tablet.

The Wi-Fi version of the device will continue to be offered at Sprint retail locations throughout the county, but the move to not offer a 4G data package to power the device is a big blow to RIM.

Such a venture would have required Sprint to devote its own resources to help develop the device, and apparently it just doesn't see the value in that.

The Playbook, which launched in April, is noteworthy not only because it's RIM's first foray into the tablet market but also because it abandons the company's decades-old Blackberry operating system and uses a new QNX-based platform. One of the stumbling blocks from RIM had been its highly outdated OS and failed attempts to bring it into the competitive arena of Android and iOS.

Because of its new and fresh approach, the Playbook has received a handful of positive reviews, but it has also faced criticism for its lack of apps and because it heavily relies on users having a Blackberry phone nearby to access certain features.

However, there's certainly no end in sight for the Playbook, and it has indeed given RIM a boost of confidence. The company hasn't released any new Blackberry phones for months, but is poised to launch a new slate of phones with the Playbook OS next year.

Via The Street

Updates

Three flawed gadgets seeking second shot

Source: Times of India

It's every tech company's nightmare: Amid much hoopla, it rolls out a new product, but the thing doesn't work as promised. The critics are damning and dwindling customers are in revolt. What to do? I've been watching the fates of three prod ...
Full article at: Times of India  More like this  2 hours ago

Wi-Fi Only XOOM 2 Media Edition Goes Live in Peru

Source: Softpedia

Motorola Mobility, freshly owned by Google, has just announced the immediate availability of XOOM 2 Media Edition tablet in Peru. According to Motorola, only the Wi-Fi version of XOOM 2 Media Edition is now available for purchase via major c ...
Full article at: Softpedia  More like this  11 hours ago, 2:01pm CDT

RIM rumored to lay off 2,000 more workers soon

Source: Neowin

Research in Motion has been struggling in the past couple of years as its once dominant position in the smartphone marketplace has been cut down by the rise of the iPhone and Android devices. In July, RIM announced it would lay off 2,000 of its work ...
Full article at: Neowin  More like this  13 hours ago, 12:42pm CDT

Don't miss ...

• More Android Stories
• I4U News Homepage