[howarmat]

RIM just released a new Desktop Manager ... THAT SUPPORTS PLAYBOOK 4G

Desktop Manager 7.1 Adds Support for Dev Alpha & 4G PlayBook - BerryReview

they did months ago

[PDFierro3]

Great news. I'm not interested in a contract price, but $550 seems a little out there. Still going to have to consider this, as I was contemplating a 64GB PlayBook. Would be nice if this 4G PlayBook would come in more than just 32GB.

[mphillips828]

Desktop Manager 7.1 Adds Support for Dev Alpha & 4G PlayBook - BerryReview

they did months ago

An official release to the public, not beta...plus they released 2.4 for the Mac...this clearly shows that the 4G is coming soon! WHICH one can assume that the 2.1 Update will be coming very soon as well, hopefully this week! Also with a LTE device, I am hoping to see updated cascades native apps on the 2.1 update to make better use of the LTE network.

[antiRIM]

I'm expecting Official 2.1 tomorrow morning, as I wouldn't want to buy the 4g anyways until I knew how good 2.1 was.

[bembol]

As much as I love the PlayBook, IMO it's the best tablet out there.

RIM just doesn't learn. When it first came out I said (the 64GB) it's not worth the asking price and I can't believe they priced it like the iPad. I paid $500 back then, it should've been the initial price.

Now they release an LTE and want $300 more for it. Sorry. LMFAO.

[9of13]

Sorry to say, but from past device patterns, 550 is the no contract price with thrice on contract being atleast half. Why would rim do this with bridge available? I feel it's a) to please the carriers (like at&t maybe) who can get customers to add a line for data with the tablet and b) allow a maker to open with people who are willing to get a tablet on a separate line, especially of the person doesn't have a bb and doesn't want to teather. Not everyone ants to teather not to mention bridge doesn't work with, nor work as fast with, everything.

[antiRIM]

Guys, I feel like were missing the point about the 4G and Bridge confrontation. I think what RIM is attempting to do is make people want to buy a playbook so they can tether there iPod/wifi-only playbook, or any device that uses internet. To me this is a smart move by RIM.

[BB_Bmore]

So 2.1 tomorrow then...wonderful, I'm off work

[nomloj]

Wasn't it the rumor that 2.1's bridge would be wifi and not bt (or at least allow wifi)? IF it's true, then bridging over LTE would definitely make a difference. That is, if I can bridge from wifi PB to LTE PB. Don't know of many/any other device that tethers with wifi.

[kingest_kong]

550? Seriously? Lol Thor must be focused so hard on BB10 that someone must've put their hand over the proposed price and he just signed off on it.

Who in their right mind is gonna pay 550 for a playbook when the nexus 7 and rumored iPad mini is on the way???

[Darlaten]

RIM just released a new Desktop Manager ... THAT SUPPORTS PLAYBOOK 4G

Cause there's a whole wack of people out there who dont own a Blackberry device yet downloaded the Desktop Manager and have been watching it over the past year to see when it get's updated for the Playbook 4G; and now that they see an upgrade for the Desktop Manager, they are going to go out and purchase the 4G version?

[Botz]

I'm expecting Official 2.1 tomorrow morning, as I wouldn't want to buy the 4g anyways until I knew how good 2.1 was.

It would be nice to get it tomorrow, but I think we may have to wait until the 4G is released...

[antiRIM]

550? Seriously? Lol Thor must be focused so hard on BB10 that someone must've put their hand over the proposed price and he just signed off on it.

Who in their right mind is gonna pay 550 for a playbook when the nexus 7 and rumored iPad mini is on the way???

The $550 is for a UNLOCKED 4G its probably like 250-300 with a contract

[Botz]

Is there any information about the LTE frequencies used?
Because the ipad uses only frequencies that do not work in Germany, so LTE is useless if you buy it here

[kb5zht]

Did RIM learn NOTHING about their origional PlayBook's price?

When have they over the last several years of flops?

[Rello]

DOA in my opinion.

Even subsidized, I couldn't see paying 300 for only a 32GB model and being locked Into a 2 year contract. No way.....plus I find my Playbook doesn't get good battery life as is, so to lower the May is a deal breaker to me.

I hope people out there can find use for this, but I don't see this going anywhere personally. Hopefully carriers promote it more than what RIM did the wifi version smh...

[jpash549]

I'm confused or perhaps just uninformed. How much additional cost to build a phone onto a wifi tablet? Also is the processor simply an overclocked version of what is in the PB or it an upgrade? Also are there any improvements in screen and screen power usage. Also as others have pointed out the carriers want a high base price so they can really offer a deal to lock you in for a couple of years.

[xsacha]

I'm confused or perhaps just uninformed. How much additional cost to build a phone onto a wifi tablet? Also is the processor simply an overclocked version of what is in the PB or it an upgrade? Also are there any improvements in screen and screen power usage. Also as others have pointed out the carriers want a high base price so they can really offer a deal to lock you in for a couple of years.

The radio chip itself is quite cheap. However, there are various patents (from Nokia et al) involved that require FRAND licencing. There is also extra FCC requirements, tests and associated costs when you add a radio chip. Those can be quite expensive when you add it all up.

The processor is the same as the one in the Dev Alpha. It's an OMAP4460 (the original Playbook had a OMAP4430). The chip itself has been available circa 2010 and is a 50% clock increase.

[Roo Zilla]

I'm confused or perhaps just uninformed. How much additional cost to build a phone onto a wifi tablet? Also is the processor simply an overclocked version of what is in the PB or it an upgrade? Also are there any improvements in screen and screen power usage. Also as others have pointed out the carriers want a high base price so they can really offer a deal to lock you in for a couple of years.

Hmmmmm..... 4G LTE chipsets typically cost about $20+, I believe the LTE chipset in the new iPad costs $21. Dual core SOC's are usually in the $15-20 range. Basically, RIM decided they no longer want to lose money on every sale of a PB. There's a reason the PB was originally priced at $500. It was only when it wasn't selling and they had excess inventory they dropped the price to $200, which lead to a $400+ million write off.

[cgk]

$550 IS OBVIOUSLY THE UNLOCKED PRICE!!!

This leak can't give a non-unlocked price value because some carriers will offer different prices!! SO PLEASE STOP SAYING "Wow thats to much $$$"!!!!!!

Ideally this should drop to around $250 - $300 with a contract.

Yes we get that - it's still too much.

[hkkelvinlee]

It is indeed pricey and I hope 4G will make it worthy for some.

From my experience using 4G LTE via USB tongle on a notebook, internet becomes as fast as best landline broadband. Well, weaker hardware in a tablet may be limiting factor but should be still streets ahead of 3G.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

[ipras]

hmm... 500MhZ increase in processor speed -- 500mAh decrease in battery capacity. .... then there's battery-sucking LTE.

4800mAh won't cut it, no matter what code you add in the software to keep battery consumption down.

This must either be a serious typo or RIM's lost its marbles. Once word gets out about poor battery life in addition to the cloud hanging over the current PB (apps-wise), this will not sell well even at subsidized prices.

Astonishingly sad.

Yeah, but when the first guy that buys it says ''wow, it is really fast with the 1.5 ghz processor and 4g, us Playbook fanboys will run out to buy one

[smoothrunnings]

RIM's stock will dive yet again if the Playbook 4G LTE pricing isn't in line with its competitors. Why would you buy a PB 4G LTE when you get the Nexus 7 pretty much everything (except for the OS) for half the price?

Unless RIM or someone at Bell (were the screen shot come from) gave these folk some disinformation and the 32GB is indeed going to sell for the same price as their competitor 4G tables do, or its actually a 64GB model and not a 32GB.

[BlazorBoy]

Why no 2.1? Maybe they do not get that detailed?

[JasW]

Regarding 'bridge', not every smart phone owner has a BB. Many companies now allow their workers to select their own phones (except for those who are on BB BEs).

Not every company that has BES requires that their employees use a BlackBerry (let alone furnishes company-issued BlackBerrys). There are plenty of companies with BES that have BYOD policies and use Good Technology, etc. to facilitate the use of non-BB devices.