1. Buzz_Dengue's Avatar
    RIM Playbook Suffers Another Blow As Sprint Halts 4G Version
    By Greg Bensinger Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
    AUGUST 12, 2011, 1:55 P.M. ET

    NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Research In Motion Ltd.'s (RIMM) tablet hopes were dealt another blow as Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) said it canceled plans to sell a version of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet on its speedier network.

    The decision means the device hasn't yet found any support from the three largest U.S. wireless carriers, which includes AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Wireless. Without their backing, RIM will have to bear the burden of sales and marketing support for the device, as well as application development.

    In contrast, Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) market-dominating iPad is advertised and supported by both AT&T and Verizon Wireless, and the tablet is displayed prominently in stores.

    Sprint had said in January it would sell a version of the device as soon as this summer that would run on its fourth-generation network. The carrier said this week that those plans had been halted because the market for tablets has became too crowded.

    "It's an interesting concept, it just hasn't caught on with business customers as much as they would like," said Paget Alves, president of Sprint's business markets group. "There are so many tablets in the market, it creates confusion for the average customer."

    A Sprint spokeswoman added that the decision "has no impact on our relationship with RIM." The Overland Park, Kan., company noted that competing tablets, such as the Xoom from Motorola Mobility Holding Inc. (MMI) and the Evo View from HTC Corp. (2498.TW), had increased competition in the space.

    Representatives from Research In Motion did not respond Friday to requests for comment. RIM shares rose 1.4% Friday to $24.51, and Sprint advanced 1.5% to $3.17.

    RIM co-Chief Executive Mike Lazaridis said as recently as June that the company would offer a version of the PlayBook this summer enabled for the 4G WiMax network Sprint uses through partner Clearwire Corp. (CLWR). Lazaridis said he expected to roll out PlayBooks on additional networks in the fall.

    The Waterloo, Ontario-based company launched the PlayBook in April with the aim of luring new customers as sales of BlackBerry smartphones grew more slowly. Since then, RIM has had to contend with tepid reviews, a small recall and an inability for it to connect to some e-mail accounts.

    RIM reported it shipped 500,000 Wi-Fi-only PlayBooks in its fiscal 2012 first quarter in North America. By contrast, Apple said it sold 9.3 million iPads in the June-ended quarter, and Motorola recorded 440,000 deliveries of its Xoom tablet.

    The Wi-Fi-only version of the Playbook is available through Sprint, Best Buy Co. (BBY), RadioShack Corp. (RSH) and Office Depot Inc. (ODP). RIM also sells the tablet in Australia, Germany and Indonesia, among other countries.

    Verizon Wireless, which is co-owned by Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group PLC (VOD), is still evaluating the PlayBook and hasn't determined if it will sell it through its network, a spokeswoman said. An AT&T spokesman said the carrier still plans to offer the device on its network but hasn't yet set a date for doing so.

    Rival device-makers have had little success so far in catching up to Apple after its launch of the iPad in April 2010. Estimates vary, but analysts suggest Apple has two-thirds of the market, if not more. In an attempt to close the gap, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) this week made permanent a $100 price cut, to $399, for its least-expensive TouchPad tablets.

    Demand for tablets is seen rising. Research firm IDC in July boosted its world-wide tablet computer shipments forecast to 53.5 million this year, from a previous 50.4 million estimate, even as deliveries of the devices dropped 28% in this year's first three months.

    -By Greg Bensinger, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-4676; [email protected]


    RIM Playbook Suffers Another Blow As Sprint Halts 4G Version - WSJ.com
    08-12-11 01:48 PM
  2. Darlaten's Avatar
    This is great news! Perhaps this will actually send a clear and loud message to RIM that they need to step up the game and actually do something to the Playbook that will make consumers want to purchase it.
    Buzz_Dengue likes this.
    08-12-11 01:54 PM
  3. Buzz_Dengue's Avatar
    What is the REAL reason???
    08-12-11 01:54 PM
  4. southlander's Avatar
    RIM's got some work to do.
    08-12-11 01:58 PM
  5. lnichols's Avatar
    What is the REAL reason???
    Maybe Sprints 4G WiMax network is going to be replaced with an LTE network announced in the Lightsquared agreement and the Playbook radio was going to be WiMax only?
    Buzz_Dengue and TBone4eva like this.
    08-12-11 01:58 PM
  6. Ithasbegun's Avatar
    Can we finally call the Playbook for what it is? A failure.

    Yes, Verizon 4G is really that fast!
    08-12-11 01:59 PM
  7. aawilson's Avatar
    I was waiting for the 4G Playbook, because I was contending that it coincide with email and calendar.
    08-12-11 02:03 PM
  8. Darlaten's Avatar
    Maybe Sprints 4G WiMax network is going to be replaced with an LTE network announced in the Lightsquared agreement and the Playbook radio was going to be WiMax only?
    The reason is clear and Sprint accurately stated it: the device has not caught on with the public. There is no other reason - the fault lies directly with RIM in releasing an incomplete device at launch and failing to address the shortcomings as quick as possible. The delays have killed this device - delays that the two CEO's should be held ultimately responsible for.
    08-12-11 02:04 PM
  9. therapyreject174's Avatar
    Well, that sure is a swift kick in the balls.
    08-12-11 02:05 PM
  10. bb-bandit's Avatar
    Playbook is a failure. Wait until those third quarter sales are reported.
    RIM is a dying company.
    08-12-11 02:05 PM
  11. johndoe086's Avatar
    Sprint is almost done anyways. Sprint will be filing for CH 11 soon. No need to worry about a company that doesn't make any money. I give them another year before the money runs out.
    08-12-11 02:07 PM
  12. MattBerry08's Avatar
    Dont blame Sprint. (I'm a sprint customer). This is RIM's fault completely. It hasn't caught on. I love mine, but I'm frustrated to see the company shooting itself in the foot. Repeatedly. As I've said in other posts - this will be a future business school project of how a company can kill an otherwise successful product. I really want to see them succeed, but you have to deliver what was promised.
    Buzz_Dengue likes this.
    08-12-11 02:12 PM
  13. NexUsandThem's Avatar
    Hey Buzz_Dengue,

    Got me beat by 4 min. I posted the same thing.

    Its really is sad though. I hope the ATT/Tmo merger fails and Tmo and Sprint merge. That would keep ATT and Verizon on their toes! If Sprint does go under and ATT acquires Tmo, we are doomed.
    Buzz_Dengue likes this.
    08-12-11 02:13 PM
  14. biggulpseh's Avatar
    God... all I can say is I seriously would punch Mike and Jim so hard in the face if I saw them in public. The lack of communication is absolutely mind blowing. The fact that such a large corporation would alienate its carrier partners to the point where they cancel one of their major products... not much else that can be said as I've said it all before.

    For all those who called me a whiner and even worse for even suggesting that RIM was lacking in the communication department, here you go. It's so bad that it just cost them one of their products being sold.

    Seriously, if they would just say ANYTHING I would be happy. One little piece of information about why it's taking so long for features to be released... I mean really, as the people who bought the Playbook early and supported it solely based on trust of RIM we deserve that.
    08-12-11 02:13 PM
  15. NexUsandThem's Avatar
    as the people who bought the Playbook early and supported it solely based on trust of RIM we deserve that
    It is the least they could do... at this point is seems RIM cant figure out their A$$ from their elbow.
    08-12-11 02:18 PM
  16. TBone4eva's Avatar
    The reason is clear and Sprint accurately stated it: the device has not caught on with the public. There is no other reason - the fault lies directly with RIM in releasing an incomplete device at launch and failing to address the shortcomings as quick as possible. The delays have killed this device - delays that the two CEO's should be held ultimately responsible for.
    If other carriers cancel their 3G/4G PBs then you may be right, but right now I'm leaning towards the fact that Sprint is trying to figure out how to dump WiMax to switch to LTE and supporting a WiMax tablet doesn't make any sense for them right now. Claiming poor sales just gives them an easy out.
    Buzz_Dengue likes this.
    08-12-11 02:19 PM
  17. NexUsandThem's Avatar
    If other carriers cancel their 3G/4G PBs then you may be right
    Correct me if I am wrong but I do not think any other US carrier will sell the Pb. That is it. The Playbook 4G show is over...
    08-12-11 02:23 PM
  18. Economist101's Avatar
    If other carriers cancel their 3G/4G PBs then you may be right, but right now I'm leaning towards the fact that Sprint is trying to figure out how to dump WiMax to switch to LTE and supporting a WiMax tablet doesn't make any sense for them right now. Claiming poor sales just gives them an easy out.
    On the contrary, claiming poor sales is "not" an easy way out if it isn't true, because in that case it could be defamatory.
    08-12-11 02:24 PM
  19. ifarlow's Avatar
    If other carriers cancel their 3G/4G PBs then you may be right...
    Do other carriers (US at least) have 3G/4G PlayBook plans? Sprint was the only US carrier that indicated they were going to carry the PlayBook, as I recall. AT&T and Verizon have yet to commit to it.
    08-12-11 02:26 PM
  20. kb5zht's Avatar
    Rim has nobody but themselves to blame.

    After talk of kicking the game into high gear, Balsillie and Lazaridis have done nothing.

    They refuse to push their coders (and/or hire additional ones though the company sits on 3 billion in cash) to develop the OS for this thing. And as it is it doesnt sell itself. At the rate they are improving this tablet it will be over a year out of date when it comes to a point consumers were lead to believe it was headed.

    Rim has no leadership, no ambition. I just dont get it. They arent even trying.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Enri69 likes this.
    08-12-11 02:27 PM
  21. Darlaten's Avatar
    If other carriers cancel their 3G/4G PBs then you may be right, but right now I'm leaning towards the fact that Sprint is trying to figure out how to dump WiMax to switch to LTE and supporting a WiMax tablet doesn't make any sense for them right now. Claiming poor sales just gives them an easy out.
    I sincerely hope you are right - I truly do - afterall, I've already invested closed to $1000.00 for my Playbook, accessories, and apps. I want, no I need, this device to succeed purely for financial reasons.

    I really hope that this prompts RIM to action by bringing out some good enhancements for the Playbook. Regardless of what the "true" reason is behind Sprint's cancellation, this must be a huge wake up call to RIM.
    08-12-11 02:28 PM
  22. lawguyman's Avatar
    This is bad. I am not sure that this means that Playbook is a failure but it might.

    Remember, Sprint and the other carriers are probably getting previews of the device and that includes Android Player, mail, etc. So, they know what it coming and don't want anything to do with it.
    08-12-11 02:29 PM
  23. TBone4eva's Avatar
    Correct me if I am wrong but I do not think any other US carrier will sell the Pb. That is it. The Playbook 4G show is over...
    Do other carriers (US at least) have 3G/4G PlayBook plans? Sprint was the only US carrier that indicated they were going to carry the PlayBook, as I recall. AT&T and Verizon have yet to commit to it.
    You guys are right, Sprint was the only carrier to announce before hand. Let's just wait and see if it comes out on any other carrier. Also let's not forget that the Xoom 3G/4G hasn't been canceled and it has poor sales as well.

    On the contrary, claiming poor sales is "not" an easy way out if it isn't true, because in that case it could be defamatory.
    It's not defamatory because RIM hasn't issued any actual sale numbers to dispute it. Defamation only applies when you say something you know to be untrue.
    Last edited by TBone4eva; 08-12-11 at 02:37 PM.
    08-12-11 02:35 PM
  24. Economist101's Avatar
    It's not defamatory because RIM hasn't issued any actual sale numbers to dispute it.
    Whether something is defamatory has nothing to do with whether it's been disputed. In other words, if Sprint were to claim that they aren't carrying the PlayBook because units randomly explode, RIM wouldn't have to have indicated the PlayBook doesn't explode for the statement to be defamatory. Also, truth is a defense, so if Sprint could prove poor sales the statement isn't defamatory, but it would require more than "RIM hasn't issued any actual sales numbers" to prove truth here.
    Last edited by Economist101; 08-12-11 at 02:42 PM.
    08-12-11 02:38 PM
  25. calaviqpfza4's Avatar
    It'll be interesting to see if other carriers follow suit. Not knowing about the American wireless landscape, it'll be a worse slap in the face if a Canadian carrier like Bell or Rogers, does the same thing... That would hurt...
    08-12-11 02:39 PM
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