RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook hits store shelves on Tuesday, but it might not be able to do battle with Apple's iPad 2 like RIM would hope.
The 7-inch tablet goes on sale today in the U.S. and Canada. The PlayBook has a 1024x600 touchscreen display, and a dual-core, 1-GHz Cortex A9 microprocessor backed by a full gigabyte of RAM. It's offered in 16GB for $499, 32GB for $599, and 64GB for $699.
While reviews for the new tablet have been generally positive, the PlayBook had a tough time actually getting off the ground. It's been criticized for its lack of native email, calendar, and organizing apps. Furthermore, the tablet was delayed, which could be attributed to high demand for Apple's iPad. The release date, originally slated for the first quarter of 2011, was reportedly pushed back due to a shortage of touch screen panels, which Apple had already allegedly obtained for the iPad 2.
When the iPad 2 went on sale in the U.S. March 11, eager Apple fanboys were camped out in long lines in hope of snagging one of the popular tablets. In the first sales weekend, analysts estimate Apple sold nearly half a million iPad 2s. The tablet sold out within a matter of days, and the wait time went up to five weeks.
But consumers aren't pining for the PlayBook in the same way. Staples Canada cancelled plans to open stores at midnight for the launch, instead opening at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, Reuters reported. Analysts polled by Reuters estimate RIM will sell about three million PlayBooks in 2011. By contrast, analysts have projected that Apple will sell up to 60 million iPads this year. Apple hasn't released any sales data yet, but is expected to do so in its Q2 earnings call on Wednesday.
But it's possible the PlayBook could have a slow start, gaining momentum in the future. Gartner predicts that by 2015, RIM will be the number three tablet maker with its new QNX platform. However, it's only projected to nab 10 percent of the market share.
For more details on the BlackBerry PlayBook, see PCMag's unboxing and full review.