Research In Motion is launching its new PlayBook tablet for advanced networks that will have a faster Internet experience, giving the Canadian tech company an updated product to sell before its new smartphones come to market.
RIM's latest PlayBook will be launched next week -- in Canada first -- and is designed for wireless networks with speeds equivalent to high-speed home Internet services on land lines.
The 4G LTE PlayBook tablet computer will be available Aug. 9 at Rogers (TSX:RCI.B), Bell (TSX:BCE) and Telus (TSX:T) -- Canada's three largest carriers.
RIM said the price of the PlayBook, which has 32 GB of memory storage, will depend on the region and provider.
The new PlayBook is also ready for corporate email systems and keeps business information secure and separate from personal information, RIM (TSX:RIM) said Thursday.
However, PC Magazine analyst Sascha Segan said any anticipation is for RIM's next generation of smartphones called BlackBerry 10.
"Consumers are past the PlayBook now and they're waiting to see what happens with BlackBerry 10," said Segan, lead analyst for mobile devices.
The BlackBerry 10 smartphones, expected to be even more like mobile computers, are expected out in 2013, about a year later than RIM had announced -- leaving the company with an older inventory of smartphones.
"RIM is in a tough spot now because it needs to keep putting out some products while its waits for BlackBerry 10. So the PlayBook LTE is a way to show that RIM can keep up with current network technologies even as its mostly geared toward revving up for BlackBerry 10," Segan said from New York.
In addition to a faster Internet experience with LTE (Long-Term Evolution) technology, RIM's new PlayBook will give users clearer and smoother video streaming, multi-party video conferencing capabilities and fewer delays when there are multiple video game players, he said.
The original PlayBook was launched in April 2011, but sales have been slow and RIM has discounted some of the models amid stiff competition.
The PlayBook has largely been overshadowed by Apple's iPad as well as tablets from Samsung and Motorola that use Google's Android operating system. These players have all launched tablets for LTE networks, Segan said.
He noted the latest Playbook was supposed to be out last fall and was announced in February 2011.
"This is a fast moving industry and the competitive situation changes very quickly."
RIM said the new PlayBook has the tablet's latest operating system software and also allows users to manage messages from Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
The built-in calendar and contacts apps is integrated with social networks, providing users with information about their contacts at their fingertips.
RIM said its latest PlayBook will be available in the coming months from carriers in the U.S., Europe, South Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Shares in Research In Motion were down 21 cents, or 2.9 per cent, to $6.95 in afternoon trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
