[louzer]

Sprint has announced that the HTC Evo 4G, the HTC View and the Blackberry Playbook are to be end-of-lifed by the end of this month. I was sort of hoping that the Playbook would actually make it to see 2.0.

Sprint Laying Down BlackBerry PlayBook, HTC EVO View 4G, EVO 4G to Rest

Given that the roadmap includes and HSPA+ Playbook, I wonder if the new Playbook will come in a wifi-only variety to accompany the HSPA+ version. If not, could RIM be further limiting the Playbook market?

[manofice1]

Verizon will be providing the 3G playbook not sprint

[louzer]

Verizon will be providing the 3G playbook not sprint

I've heard talk about Verizon providing a 3G Playbook, but the 'official' roadmap says nothing about a CDMA Playbook. It says nothing about a wifi-only Playbook. It only states that there would be an HSPA+ Playbook (RIM 2012 roadmap includes new curves, HSPA+ PlayBook and two BlackBerry 10 devices | CrackBerry.com). This says to me that the new Playbook will be GSM with HSPA+ capabilities and will likely be comatable with ATT and TMO in the states. This same device would be compatable world-wide as well. Unless something was left out of the roadmap, Verizon and Sprint customers would be left to purchasing new Playbooks at off-contract prices with no CDMA radio to use with their current carrier contracts.

It appears, at least to me, that the current wifi-only Playbooks are being cleared out of inventory and that once they are gone, the only option will be the new HSPA+ variant. If this is the case, then RIM is effectively limiting their US market for new Playbooks.

[cbvinh]

It appears, at least to me, that the current wifi-only Playbooks are being cleared out of inventory and that once they are gone, the only option will be the new HSPA+ variant. If this is the case, then RIM is effectively limiting their US market for new Playbooks.

Agreed. Most of the early adopters of the original iPad 3G's that I've talked to said they would have rather bought the wi-fi versions to save on the extra expense of the tablets and data plans (... which is also to say that they're mostly using their iPads at home and not on the go).

With the ubiquity of phone-based wi-fi hotspots and mi-fi devices, the wi-fi version is the way to go for customers, though carriers would probably prefer WiMAX/HSPA+/LTE versions.