Has the Playbook been discontinued?

**cwericb** · 02-05-2013, 09:33 AM

None or very few of the major retailers seem to have any Playbooks 16/32/64 in stock and the ones that I have spoken with say it is discontinued and they will not be re-ordering.
So has it been completely abandoned? Is it undergoing an upgrade to more RAM and BB10? Does anyone know what is going on? I have a 16 gb and love it. Want more memory and a spare.

**colorwatch2000** · 02-05-2013, 09:39 AM

I've been told the same thing

**tpmbb10** · 02-05-2013, 09:42 AM

I'm so happy we have two of them in our household. I use mine all the time but my wife barely uses hers (few apps she likes atm) but once these things get bb10 they will be in serious demand. If I were you I'd be on Craigslist etc trying to get a cheap, gently used one.

**sad_old_man** · 02-05-2013, 10:00 AM

There has been no official notification from BlackBerry confirming this fact.

Remember that it is the salesman's job to sell you something while your in the shop. If he tells you they are out of stock you will either wait or look elsewhere for them. If he tells you they are discontinued then he may be Able to convince you to buy something else that is in stock.

Never trust a salesman unless he is asleep and then don't trust that he is really asleep!

**cwericb** · 02-05-2013, 10:15 AM

" If he tells you they are discontinued then he may be Able to convince you to buy something else that is in stock."
True. But the fact that the PB seems to be unavailable at all the major retailers doesn't seem to be good news, but it is funny that BB hasn't said anything about this, especially with BB10 confirmed as coming to the PB. Perhaps they are stockpiling PB's to be released when 10 comes out for the PB.

**Scotter75** · 02-05-2013, 10:22 AM

I was in Wall Mart yesterday. I was told that whenever they get them in, they're gone quickly. They are hot sellers in Europe so maybe more are being shipped there.

**hreiner1** · 02-05-2013, 10:34 AM

We all know the production of the PB had stopped already last year

Whatever was in stock was delivered to the stores, the 16 gb was sold out first
The service contractor of Blackberry may store a couple of 100's or 1,000's for warranty replacement
"PB version 1" is history
to buy second hand electronics, is taking a real risk, good luck with

the question will be if there ever will be a PB "Version 2"
I assume version 2 will be produced and sold by third parties, with 32, 64, 128 gb, - 32gb WIFI only, 64 and 128 gb with WIFI and LTE
the PB Version 2 to may be a little bit larger like 8", as the old BP was supposed to be only a bridged extension of BB Phones 7.1
or different companies / vendors may bring out different size, like androids or IPads,
as Blackberry will become more and more a software company, like Google with Android, BB will be the second software company for tablets
Apple will never offer their IOS to other vendors

my real concern is if we have a full Bridge again

**cwericb** · 02-05-2013, 11:23 AM

"We all know the production of the PB had stopped already last year"

That is the first I have heard of this. Yes, an announcement was made that production of the 16gb model was discontinued. But where did you hear that the 32 & 64 was discontinued?

**sglane22** · 02-05-2013, 11:34 AM

Amazon still have PB's In stock.

**cwericb** · 02-05-2013, 11:43 AM

Yeah at $245.66 for a 16 gb at amazon.ca !

**RubberChicken76** · 02-05-2013, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by hreiner1

We all know the production of the PB had stopped already last year

No. An analyst guessed that it is out of production. Let's not mistake rumours for facts please. It could very well be, but unless you're sitting in RIM's production facilities and have looked at the production logs, let's stop spreading speculation as though it's the gospel truth.

Enough of this around here already.

Whatever was in stock was delivered to the stores, the 16 gb was sold out first

16 GB was sold out. RIM has made no other announcements on the older 32 GB Wifi, 64 GB Wifi or the newer 1.5 GHZ LTE device released last august. Again, let's not speculate on what they do or don't have in stock.

**RubberChicken76** · 02-05-2013, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by cwericb

But where did you hear that the 32 & 64 was discontinued?

This is how rumours get started. People speculate and then state their speculation as though it's a fact ...

**SparkyBC** · 02-05-2013, 11:55 AM

When stores like Staples and Future shop have all playbook accessories in the "Clearance Bin", You can bet they are no longer in production and getting rid of dead stock! Walmart even removed the labels in the display where they once were. Seems like what little stock they had left before Christmas is finally gone. I have not seen a playbook for sale in any stores here since Christmas.

In retail no stock for 2 months means one thing.. RIP..

**cwericb** · 02-05-2013, 12:00 PM

Well first off, none of the large retailers have any Playbooks in stock at a national level that I can find in Canada so there is no speculation there.
However, if I was to do some speculation I might think that there are 3 possibilities...

a) BB has pulled the plug on the Playbook to concentrate on the production of the Z 10 & Q 10
b) Sales have outpaced production of the Playbook and it will be back in stores in a few months or weeks
c) With all the present hype about BB-10, the playbook will hit stores again in a few months preloaded with BB-10, perhaps with 1.5gb (?) RAM and at higher prices.

If the last should happen to be true and present owners will benefit from a free BB-10 upgrade, then it might well be worthwhile trying to buy one now.

**xamdam** · 02-05-2013, 12:01 PM

Call up a service provider like rogers and i bet they have some still i got the 32gb LTE version in dec and they told me they had thousands left.

**cwericb** · 02-05-2013, 12:08 PM

"People speculate and then state their speculation as though it's a fact ... "

That is so true. I get really tired of people on various boards constantly stating their OPINIONS and SPECULATION as facts. People quoting FACTS should give references, people stating OPINIONS should say so. In my own posts I always try to do so, those who don't are just blowing hot air...

**RubberChicken76** · 02-05-2013, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by SparkyBC

When stores like Staples and Future shop have all playbook accessories in the "Clearance Bin", You can bet they are no longer in production and getting rid of dead stock! Walmart even removed the labels in the display where they once were. Seems like what little stock they had left before Christmas is finally gone. I have not seen a playbook for sale in any stores here since Christmas.

In retail no stock for 2 months means one thing.. RIP..

Unless they're selling through different channels. There are more places to buy product than just brick and mortar stores. Online. VARs. LARS. Carriers direct. Carrier stores. Direct from RIM etc.

Retail is an expensive, inventory managing bugger to distribute in. You get the face time, but you pay a fortune for it and are at their mercy. In my old company, we consciously and deliberately stopped selling some skus through the retail channel because it wasn't worth the effort, and focused on direct, online and LARs that dealt with companies. When retailers are screaming for huge commitments for retail advertising, giant margins, premium floor placement expenditures and then turning around and sending your product back damaged after a quarter, sometimes you want to pull back

**RubberChicken76** · 02-05-2013, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by SparkyBC

You can bet they are no longer in production and getting rid of dead stock!

Not necessarily. It can mean that. It can also mean that Future Shop and Best Buy stopped carrying the accessories. During my years of selling product at retailer, you'd quite commonly see one reseller drop a sku and another pick it up and another keep it going. By that logic, CHAPTERS in Canada (which dropped the PlayBook fairly early on over a year ago) must have signified that PlayBook was discontinued. Yet it was on sale at FUTURE SHOP, BEST BUY, COSTCO etc this past Christmas.

**deswayze** · 02-05-2013, 12:21 PM

I can't say whether the current Playbook has been discontinued but the scarcity of stock suggests they are not producing them any longer, at least not in quantity.

However, the good news is there will likely be another tablet from Blackberry. Before someone jumps on me and says what is your source, here is my evidence:

1. I attended the BlackBerry Enterprise Forum in Winnipeg last November and they stated there would be a new Tablet in 2013.
2. This morning on CBC's The Current, Thorsten Heins stated Blackberry would continue to make handsets and "tablets". The full interview is here: Thorsten Heins: Can new phones save BlackBerry? | The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti | CBC Radio

So if you missed out on the original Playbook, don't dispair, a new one is likely on its way.

**scalemaster34** · 02-05-2013, 12:30 PM

FACT most retailers clearance their stocks of PlayBooks back in November - I got a 64GB for $149 at Office Depot
FACT now all brick & morter retailers in my area have been out of PlayBooks stock for over 2 months, and no long even have displays out.
FACT the BlackBerry online store has been out of PlayBooks for over 3 months
FACT most online stores have been out of PlayBooks for around 2 months, and are not accepting back orders - last I checked Walmart, EBay and Amazon were the only ones with stock in the US
FACT modern supply chains do not require 2 months to fulfill orders

SPECULATION RIM has canned the PlayBook for now. Don't see any reason the would produce anymore version 1 PlayBooks at this point. But do "expect" to see a version 2 PlayBook (or another tablet with a different untranshed name) later this year with slightly higher specs and BB10.

**RubberChicken76** · 02-05-2013, 12:35 PM

Buy 4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook - Tablet PC Price - US

**fpinkney** · 02-05-2013, 12:37 PM

My playbook was behaving a little erratically on the weekend so out of curiosity I tried to look on line to price a replacement - very hard to find.... The Source, BestBuy.ca, futureshop.ca and Staples.ca don't show them at all on their on-line sites (not even listed as "out of stock".... either not there at all or, in the case of The Source, "unavailable" (although it did show 2, 32GB PBs were available at one area store for $149.99 ea). I did find TigerDirect.ca had 64GB models priced at $229.99. Although my Playbook "came around" again (after cycling the battery) I ordered another from Tiger Direct..... I don't want to be caught short if my original (bought on day 1) does die in the next little while.

**cwericb** · 02-05-2013, 12:37 PM

Deswayze
If that is true it looks like my point...
"c) With all the present hype about BB-10, the playbook will hit stores again in a few months preloaded with BB-10, perhaps with 1.5gb (?) RAM and at higher prices."
might not be too far off. Dress it up, call it Playbook II or something and put it back on the market at a higher price. Because despite all the criticism of the Playbook it is a very good tablet at an unbeatable price. BB already has the format and the facilities to do this and a "Playbook II" would probably be better received than the original and would probably be a lot more profitable than the original.
Previously Heins has also said they would be releasing a number of new products this year so we will see.

Scalemaster - agreed

**taz323** · 02-05-2013, 12:40 PM

[QUOTE=hreiner1;7937419]We all know the production of the PB had stopped already last year

Might have missed that one, is that something that was in writing, is there a link. Like to read it.

**Bad Whippet** · 02-05-2013, 01:30 PM

It seems freely available in major stores in the UK still, and it's said (various sources have mentioned it) that it actually outsold the iPad over the Christmas period in the UK (likely due to the huge price-slashing). I bought my 64Gb about two weeks ago and had plenty of vendors for comparison of prices.