BlackBerry PlayBook Price Dropped To $299 By RIM

On Tuesday, BlackBerry-maker RIM posted a juicy offer that will be available only for a limited time.

According to the sale page, all BlackBerry PlayBook models in the U.S. have been slashed to $299 -- for any configuration. The discount adds up to a savings of $200 - $400, depending on which model you choose. The sale is set to end Februrary 4, CNET reports.

Selling all three sizes of the PlayBook (16GB, 32G and 64GB) with the same $299 price tag is a move that some question, since up-pricing larger models is a big moneymaker for hardware developers. According to CNET, Apple's 64GB iPhone 4S costs $43 more to manufacture than the 32GB model; however, the company prices the larger model $100 higher.

Making the most money possible on the PlayBook isn't necessarily part of RIM's plan these days, based on earlier moves made by the company. In November, the company put the 16GB version of the struggling tablet on sale for $199 with positive results. The devices quickly sold out of Best Buy stores, prompting some to wonder whether, like the HP TouchPad before it, the original high price was the main deterrent to purchase.

Unlike HP and RIM, Apple has never had to put current versions of its iPad on sale. Analysts expect Apple to make up 57 percent of the market share in 2012, according to Canaccord Genuity.

RIM has reportedly lost $485 million on unsold PlayBooks since the tablet's launch in April 2011.

Visit the BlackBerry Store to check out the sale for yourself. (The site appeared to be down on Tuesday afternoon.)

Interested in other tech fails? Check out our slideshow of 2011's biggest flops.

Comments

[oilfield]

02:58 PM on 01/05/2012

anyone have the fujitsu windows tablet? been thinking about it for a little while.

[Kent Magnuson]

07:11 AM on 07/28/2012

I suggest Apple iPad. Get the real thing and do not mess with the lesser boxes. Nothing else is even close to the iPad. Everything/anything can be had. If you get something else...not.

[ILoveGreatDanes]

11:11 AM on 01/05/2012

I'm going to stop eating Apples and just eat oranges from now on. They cost a lot less money and have a lot less media hype.

[Kent Magnuson]

08:51 AM on 01/05/2012

I have been to 3 different stores, attempting to play with the Blackberry Playbook tablet. Each one, the unit was broken and not working/waiting on repairs. Hmmmmm. Must not be very durable.

[Ikejj]

01:49 PM on 02/24/2012

I had the same problem

[ballooning64]

12:23 PM on 01/04/2012

I would like to take advantage of the US $299 price but I'm in Canada. :-(

[yer]

12:21 PM on 01/04/2012

At 7 inches the Playbook is more in line with other true mobile non-airplane-tray-sized devices like Samsung Galaxy 7, Thrive 7 and such. The stampede at $99 for the HP Touchpad showed that people want a tablet but not everyone accepts Apple prices.

That RIM dropped the price here now was stupid because it lost the Christmas season but more likely in reaction to upcoming market changes. With the updated Galaxy 7 Plus out and Thrive 7 and others out there the price drop had to compete with perceived Playbook faults.

Given likely cost pressure this year to continue, If they can get down to $199 again or lower it might be time to consider it ;)

Long term in the face of Android market though? That is the question

[stopint]

10:02 AM on 01/04/2012

...i got a 16gb playbook a few weeks back at the $199 price ... only downside is not many apps but everthing else is great...great screen, solid, smooth operation, fast browser...was a little hesitant about the 7" screen but no prob adjusting especially since the screen is so nice...but the lesson here i would have never have paid $499 for this playbook...

[Justjack1]

08:50 AM on 01/04/2012

Im starting to wonder more and more of why to buy an IPAD at their ridiculous prices...

[Huffer07]

09:50 AM on 01/04/2012

Because it's the best supported tablet. Best selection of apps, best quality of apps, and it's basically the industry standard now. Having a cheap tablet with a weak or non-existent ecosystem is basically like buying an expensive paperweight. It's smart to buy the product with the most support and most popularity. Safety in numbers. Plus, don't underestimate the value of being able to walk into any Apple store to get product support, tutoring, or questions asked. That's a huge advantage that people seem to ignore. Customer support is practically non-existent or terrible with most other tablets. Customer support with Apple products is amazing.

[thereisonlyoneparty]

10:02 AM on 01/04/2012

It is about brand loyalty more than anything.

I have a an HP Touchpad bought on the cheap and a Toshiba Thrive.  The Touchpad works well (basically a true iPad clone that runs different software).  The Thrive is just amazing.  It does more than an iPad and has more options.  It is cheaper was well.  Why would someone choose an iPad over a Thrive?  Branding.  Nothing else.  It does not make sense.

The app argument does not really work either.  There was a time when the Apple App Store was the leader in available apps, but not anymore.

[Retro Dude]

12:34 PM on 01/04/2012

If you want content by a Nook or a Kindle for $200.

@$600 after taxes and a case for the base model these apple devices are way over priced. (as are all tablets over $300)

So line up and pay for one on your line of credit or credit card and show us really why the Western economies is in so much trouble.

[StevieTheK]

07:36 AM on 01/04/2012

"Our headaches are over! Here comes Moses with the tablets!"

[Spanky McFarlane]

07:33 AM on 01/04/2012

After Christmas & not before? Pure genius (lol)

[yer]

07:54 AM on 01/04/2012

Yeah Marketing FAIL (Again!!)

[yer]

07:31 AM on 01/04/2012

Before the Ipad fanbois rage... carrying around their HDMI dongles, Camera dongles and such because there are no ports on the unit? Xoom wins there as so do many Android tabs. Playbook I found to be superior machine... if you can figure out how to use it. With no cues on the unit or menus I had no idea what to do with it. Had to watch a video to learn how to use it. Didn't buy one at the time but played around with it at BestBuy and it was far more fluid.

The issue isn't the playbook itself, it is if RIM will keep supporting it. Still, HP came back on theirs. Playbook price versus specs it is the clear winner. We'll see how it goes

[thereisonlyoneparty]

10:03 AM on 01/04/2012

That really is the odd thing.

The devices that do more and offer more options (at a better price) are failing while walled in systems with incredibly limited configurations succeed.

[Huffer07]

10:03 AM on 01/04/2012

"HP came back on theirs." Really? HP is done with their Touchpad.

People get too hung up on hardware. It's not just about the hardware, people! It's about the support, the community, the ecosystem, the apps, etc. That's where iPad has such a huge advantage. There are 40 million+ iPads out in the wild. It's dominating in enterprise adoption. It's already widely used in the medical industry. It's the only tablet where you have a walk-in brick-and-mortar store to ask for free help and support (Apple stores). There is a consistency to the product, from one generation to the next. The rest of the market is very fractured. All these other tablets come and go, regardless of the merits of their hardware. Don't make the mistake of buying mainly based on hardware.

[yer]

12:09 PM on 01/04/2012

Sorry I just meant that the HP success was price based. $99!!!!

Android keeps updating and the screen resolution of even the 7 inch Toshiba Thrive and the Playbook here are better than the iPad. HDMI ports and microSD, Flash video etc means that they are not limited as a "consumable" only product but can last as needs change. Hence even the HP Touchpad at $99 sold.

Note the Thrive 10in has a full SD card and USB port so great for portability. Ipad still has a great battery and lots of apps. Android lets you do what you want though. Even with the microSD/SD slots that means the units are rootable, so great for developers as well.

Ipad is certainly the king but it can't last with Google Android OS getting more flexible and the Android Market increasing

If Apple recognizes this, they will improve their own offerings maybe in a mythical iPad 3, so pushing them will improve the market as well. Competition is good.

Even if a few shake out, anything with microSD and Flash looks great for expansion even with a price drop and as competition heats up

[Samuel Nnadi]

07:08 AM on 01/04/2012

Apple iPad has no competitor at the moment. No matter the price drop from Blackberry PlayBook, Apple iPad price will remain the same.

[yer]

07:44 AM on 01/04/2012

playbook is 7 inch. So you're right, Apple has ignored the 7 inch market. As a competitor to the 7 inch tablets though that's to whom it will appeal

[KevinFletcherTweedy]

06:56 AM on 01/04/2012

I don't know who a 7-inch (diagonal) screen makes sense for. It seems a silly size -- only slightly larger than a phone and way under the 10.1 inch screen. I'd pass at any price.

[yer]

08:00 AM on 01/04/2012

Then the issue will be for those a 7 inch tab are in the market for then. ie: Playbook versus Samsung Galaxy Tab and Dell Slate. In terms of specs it beats them. In terms of long term support that's the next issue to consider. But if you weren't in the market to begin with, then why comment?

[Lucille]

11:59 AM on 01/04/2012

I believe KevinFletcherTweedy's comment is valid. For him a 7 inch tablet makes little sense it's hardly larger than a phone and I agree with him and I'd pass at any price too. There are those of us who prefer a larger screen, probably the majority of people who buy iPads, and iPads are the best supported. I can only the imagine the customer support, if any, for other tablets, many of which are being discontinued as we speak.

[Retro Dude]

06:52 AM on 01/04/2012

Best $199 I ever spent.

multitasking...better speakers...better camera...great browser..7" format makes this device mobile without looking like your holding a food tray...great OS...works great with my 9900

Doesn't matter where I am. If I have my phone with me I have access to the internet.

More apps coming with Android

[yer]

08:03 AM on 01/04/2012

Does it have a microSD or SD card slot or are the 16/32/64 GB fixed in the unit?

[WaitForIt]

08:18 AM on 01/04/2012

No card slot, size is fixed.

[Leefeller]

05:10 AM on 01/04/2012

I do not know much about this pad, but I thought RIM was going down?

[Gadgetman]

03:50 AM on 01/04/2012

It's not even worth it for free.

[Retro Dude]

06:46 AM on 01/04/2012

Ignorance is truly bliss.

[Gadgetman]

11:38 AM on 01/04/2012

Are you suggesting RIM made a great device here? I knew they were finish the moment I got a Storm. What a joke of a device. I switched to an iPhone a week later. Light years better.