[omniusovermind]

Ok I'm still unclear about when that release date is supposed to be, but the rumors seem to point to this summer. Since BB10 is apparently slated for October, why would they do that? It just seems to make much more sense if I were to launch a new tablet, after all of the heat my last one took, to ensure it gets released with all of the latest bells and whistles. For the sake of waiting only a few more months, I cannot fathom why they wouldn't. Am I reading into this correctly?

[kbz1960]

More beta testing with a radio.

[spencerdl]

OK did I miss something, has the 4g PlayBook been given an actual date for release or once again rumor has it all wrong (keyword RUMOR)......and to be honest, RIM has made it a habit of not giving accurate release dates......who's to say its a premature release when it hasn't been released yet

[hpulley]

Rumor was May, wrong again. It will be here when it's here... For now enjoy your Bridged PlayBook! I sure enjoy mine.

[lawguyman]

I suspect that 4G Playbook will be released when 2.1 is ready.

4G will have to have things like native BBM. My guess is the software isn't quite ready yet but will be soon. We will probably see it first on leaked Carrier roadmaps.

[varunsain]

Ok I'm still unclear about when that release date is supposed to be, but the rumors seem to point to this summer. Since BB10 is apparently slated for October, why would they do that? It just seems to make much more sense if I were to launch a new tablet, after all of the heat my last one took, to ensure it gets released with all of the latest bells and whistles. For the sake of waiting only a few more months, I cannot fathom why they wouldn't. Am I reading into this correctly?

It's just an illusion.. The pb is perfectly alright in its current stage.. Agree it's not up there with the competition but it's got a few things up it's sleeve and the price!!

It's the perfect time to launch the 4g model.. The pb is gaining momentum and non bb users want a tab.. So why not..

[Yankee495]

2.0.1.358 already has 4G, and SIM card capability.

This video is from the file sys.firstlaunch.bar. I extracted it and do not know a way to play it from within the OS. It looks like it plays at first launch like the tutorials. They are in the same file. It detects which PB you have. I read through the core OS file too.

https://www.box.com/s/2391c762d74ef90f6457

[BB_Bmore]

Exactly Developer beta at the end of this month for 2.1. And when 2.1 is released so will the 4g playbook. 2.1 is gotta be one heck of an upgrade if they think pushing the 4g with it will help it sell. Let's be honest PlayBook 1 didn't do too well,it will be interesting to see how the 4g fairs being released with a more mature os.

[BB_Bmore]

2.0.1.358 already has 4G, and SIM card capability.

This video is from the file sys.firstlaunch.bar. I extracted it and do not know a way to play it from within the OS. It looks like it plays at first launch like the tutorials. They are in the same file. It detects which PB you have. I read through the core OS file too.

https://www.box.com/s/2391c762d74ef90f6457

Wow! Very nice find!!

[morlock_man]

I still think they're dropping the 4G PBook on Monday.

In Australia, where Apple dropped the ball on 4G support, with a marketing plan that aims itself at both the high-end business and consumer marketplace.

[Yankee495]

Also, right now go to help>Getting Started and scroll down to "Insert a micro SIM card".

These were posted before. Someone posted the help thing and I posted the video I found.

They got buried in the Skype and I'm bored posts I guess.

So, I think the 4G will launch very soon.

[Yankee495]

Another thing.

In the browser type file://

Go to the bottom and touch usr@

You'll see a directory called "carrier" but you can't open it.

And type file:// then hit bin@ and you will see "simtoolkit_app"

[BBplaybookJS]

Being premature is unforgivable, rude and extremely embarrassing, in almost any context

[BB_Bmore]

I still think they're dropping the 4G PBook on Monday.

In Australia, where Apple dropped the ball on 4G support, with a marketing plan that aims itself at both the high-end business and consumer marketplace.

Idk the website is going to run down to zero by tomorrow. A 4g launch on a Sunday? Not likely.

[morlock_man]

Won't it be Monday in Australia?

[pcguy514]

. RIM CEO Thorsten Heins signaled a subtle, but significant change of direction in the company's tablet strategy.

RIM launched its PlayBook tablet in April 2011 to public indifference and press criticism over a perceived lack of features compared to BlackBerry smartphones.

It then booked a $485 million pre-tax accounting provision over unsold inventory.

Seeding the ground

Since then it's been on a strong industry drive, giving out over 20,000 units to get developers working on the PlayBook Tablet OS, which is a sub-set of the forthcoming BlackBerry 10 OS.

However, despite updating many of those 'missing features' and adding new ones - notably with the version 2.0 OS update - PlayBook is yet to make any dent in the consumer world dominated by Apple's iPad, Amazon's Kindle Fire and some Samsung devices.

Asked whether there would be a new version of the PlayBook, Heins replied in this manner.

"It's hard to make a tablet successful as a pure hardware play."

Look beyond

His point seems to be that treating tablets as - say, laptops - is wrong.

As best demonstrated by Apple, it's the combination of hardware and software that makes tablets valuable; something Android vendors other than Amazon are clearly struggling with.

In RIM's context, this means future PlayBook's will be much more integrated into an ecosystem embracing hardware, local software and cloud-based services i.e. more BlackBerry-like.

Work tools

In addition, while Heins revealed that 4G PlayBooks will be released, he continued that RIM's tablet strategy had shifted to ensure future devices worked well in the enterprise sector, first and foremost.

This is part of RIM's wider structural reorganisation to ensure it focuses on its core markets, one of which is enterprise customers.

Of course, that doesn't mean there won't be a consumer PlayBook running BlackBerry 10 at some point. Only that RIM won't be getting into a direct tablet battle with iPads, Galaxy Tabs and Notes et al.

"[Tablets are] an on-ramp to mobile computing," Heins added, suggesting that while they have a part to play in RIM's future, it's not going to be a starring role

I read it elsewhere but first link I found was this. BlackBerry World 2012: Thorsten Heins signals a shift in RIM's tablet strategy. More enterprise tool than consumer hardware | news | BlackBerry World | PocketGamer.biz

[slalom]

LTE Playbook will be available in Canada in June.

[xACiD]

I just bought my playbook, lol

ah well, the LTE would be nice but when the bb10 blackberries come out hopefully bridge browsing at least will be working at LTE speeds ?? (at least that's what i heard, that they were waiting for a certain LTE chip to become available being releasing the new phones)

Slower CPU but we'll see if I can deal.. If not maybe I'll pick one up if I need that CPU bump that much.

[kbz1960]

I just bought my playbook, lol

ah well, the LTE would be nice but when the bb10 blackberries come out hopefully bridge browsing at least will be working at LTE speeds ?? (at least that's what i heard, that they were waiting for a certain LTE chip to become available being releasing the new phones)

Slower CPU but we'll see if I can deal.. If not maybe I'll pick one up if I need that CPU bump that much.

Limited to bluetooth speed. I don't know if the bluetooth can be upgraded with drivers to 3 or 4. Right now it's 2 which won't do LTE speed. To get that you would need to use wifi hotspot.

[Fuzzballz]

When has RIM ever not been late in recent years? It will be long after everyone has stopped caring, you can be sure of that. Sorry to be a pessimist.

[xACiD]

When has RIM ever not been late in recent years? It will be long after everyone has stopped caring, you can be sure of that. Sorry to be a pessimist.

As a less than a week old playbook owner I hope you're right.. About the PlayBook 4G, not BB10 devices. Hopefully those come out sooner rather than later.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[SK122387]

The more I read about the 4G PlayBook, the more I'm interested. I have a 32GB PlayBook now, and was thinking about getting an iPad for school in the fall, because lots of their stuff is on the iPad. But I just don't like how iPads "run," in that it's just like my iPod touch, and going between apps is a "stop and go" experience, where you have to hit the home button and pick an app.

To me the PlayBook is the perfect size for everything I use it for, so I'll be buying whatever future generation tablet RIM offers. I sort of wish the 4G PlayBook was pushed back, so they could up the screen pixels, add flash and autofocus to the camera, and add the ability to vibrate, all in addition to the rumored NFC and better processor.

Until then, I'm still so happy with my year old PlayBook!