RIM has unveiled the new 4G LTE PlayBook. Available in Canada on 9 August with 32GB and a more powerful 1.5GHz dual-core CPU. Prices TBA.
The new PlayBook comes with much needed cellular connectivity.
The 4G LTE version of the BlackBerry PlayBook will make its debut in Canada next Thursday, with availability in other countries in the following months.
| Cellular connectivity | |
| LTE | 700, 1700 MHz |
| HSPA+ | 100, 1900, 1700, 800, 900 MHz |
Given the incompatibility of 4G networks in different countries, it could be some time before a version compatible with your country becomes available.
In the meantime, the new PlayBook will at least bring much needed cellular connectivity (on 3G) for users from countries which do not have a 4G network yet (or who have incompatible networks).
Available in Canada on 9 Aug.
Research In Motion (RIM) had announced earlier that the PlayBook will eventually run on BlackBerry 10 OS.
So the 4G LTE should be upgradeable from the current BlackBerry Tablet OS when BB10 becomes available next year.
Apart from the 4G LTE connectivity and CPU speed-up, the hardware for the new PlayBook remains the same – which is a testimony of how advanced it was to begin with when the original PlayBook was launched last year.
Tags: 4G, available, BlackBerry, Canada, cellular, LTE, Playbook, Research In Motion, RIM
When will the 4G Playbook be available in Singapore? I think a Wifi tablet is pretty much useless because you’re so dependent on the availability of Wifi networks.
Faith, after release in Canada on 9 August, the 4G LTE PlayBook will be released in the US, Europe, South Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean in the following months. At the moment, there are no plans regarding the availability in Singapore. I suppose it will be driven by the compatibility of 4G networks. I’ll update on the blog once I hear anything new. And I agree that cellular connectivity is very important in tablets for true ubiquitous mobile connectivity. So it’s a good thing that RIM is finally releasing a cellular version for the PlayBook – and a 4G LTE one at that.