[aneftp]

I don't want one, because I don't want to pay for another data plan. I already spend $162 a month for mobile phones. This is for people with real money, not me.

Agreed.

There is no market ( at least in USA) for another 3G/4g tablet. Carriers really want to have people on contract with mandatory data. Consumers do not.

Plan and simple.

And can rim risk selling 3G/4g tablets unsubsidized potentially not being able to sell them. And having 200-500k 3G/4g tablets sitting on the shelves unsold? That's too much risk.

[4one1]

I wouldn't buy it.

I am going to be using the bridged browser the entire time. Why should I have to buy a tablet that I am going to have to pay a monthly fee for. Besides even if people don't have blackberries they can still use their hotspot option on their phones.

Does anyone know if you use the bridged browser on the playbook, will it still compresses the data connection?

[jajano]

Well.. For me
.
If there's a playbook with simcard and 3G connection, will it support free streaming like we have when bridge? Coz this is the amazing factor from bridge. I can streaming unlimited and it won't charge me coz it include on BIS.

[kill_9]

dandbj13 - they will continue to sell the wifi only version, adding the 3g to the mix expands their market. I can see businesses using the 3g version for field support techs as well as others uses.

Since field techs would probably need a cellular telephone in addition to a tablet using BlackBerry Bridge with a BlackBerry smartphone makes more economic sense because with the exception of AT&T bridge-mode does not require a tethering add-on to the data plan.

[kill_9]

is it not a LTE playbook come spring? Thorsten stated in a interview last week.

In Canada, a significant issue is the lack of unlimited data plans for BlackBerry smartphones despite the exceptionally good data compression provided by BlackBerry smartphones. LTE while nice from a purely speed perspective would eat through most data plans within a week each month. Maybe Thorsten needs to smart strong-arming the carriers in Canada since Blackberry users do not put close the the strain on their networks due to data compression compared to Apple iPhone users with no data compression.

[varunsain]

Not me.. imo i would definitely consider a playbook and bb os7 device to be a better investment than an hspa+ pb.. bb bridge is just amazing.. currently on 3g now from my mobile via bridge.. amazing.. jus dont require any connection on my pb

[kbz1960]

Probably the same type of people that buy those in other flavors.

[anthogag]

If the pb is 3g+ the roles could reverse and you could tether the phone to the playbook...one plan

[robsteve]

One other point to a 3G or LTE Playbook is since it can have a cellular service assigned to it, it can also be connected to the BlackBerry NOC and get BIS/BES. This will allow them to offer BBM and other BlackBerry specific services on the PlayBook. Part of your fee for the cellular data will go to RIM to pay for the BIS/BES service.

[NaijaBerry]

As long as you can still bridge, i don't see why not. It will be faster anyway so the addition of 3G+ just gets more people onboard, i would go for it if the performance difference with the 1.5GHz processor is substantial

[Willard814]

What is HSPA?

[adrenaline_x]

HSPA+ offers up to 21Mbps download (depending on network congestion) and is faster then most home users internet connection.. LTE is marketing and for extreme users.

The HSPA+/LTE tablets are to get them into phone carriers so that they can begin pushing them, right along with the blackberry phones

Win!

[KermEd]

With that in mind, who's buying the expected HSPA+ PB, and why?

I will be buying one on day one. Because:
- I have cash to burn monthly
- I have cash put aside for it a,ready
- I develop for the PB and have a responsibility to make sure it stays stable
- I'm a techno hoarder
- I have said many times, my PB does exactly what I wanted and does what I bought it for. I get my money's worth everyone so why not.
- It will have faster Internet and I want fast 24/7 Internet access
- I would get rid of my phones before I would give up my tablets
Edit - I also own many tablets, and always get the newest

But I am a rarity

[Drasadex]

Nah, I'm keeping my Wi-Fi only PB.

[bbmme]

I am!!! it will compliment my BB10=p

[jajano]

One other point to a 3G or LTE Playbook is since it can have a cellular service assigned to it, it can also be connected to the BlackBerry NOC and get BIS/BES. This will allow them to offer BBM and other BlackBerry specific services on the PlayBook. Part of your fee for the cellular data will go to RIM to pay for the BIS/BES service.

The question is; will it still have the ability to free streaming unlimited, like we can do via bridge ?
Coz as we know already, BIS itself exclude the streaming.

[JazzL5]

is it not a LTE playbook come spring? Thorsten stated in a interview last week.

Yes. It is supposed to be coming this spring and probably through Verizon. I will definitely be interested since free WiFi is rare where I live and work.

[Cameron MacDonald]

I would consider it. I saw someone with a 7 inch tablet (not the Playbook) who was using it as his phone. Had it in a leather cover, looked like a small notebook (the paper kind). An all in one device that is portable and discrete. Pretty tempting.

[xKrNMBoYx]

Straight and simple....no
My phone doesn't have 3g, and I can live without it. I'm scared if I ever use it I will need it continuously on

[titanjhb]

In south Africa wifi tablets are considered useless, we have almost no wifi hotspots, most our tablets sold are 3G/HSDPA tablets. A 3G enabled playbook would hopefully maybe sell more than the 1000 or so playbooks I hear were sold by the carriers.

[snowindec9]

only the rich can throw money around on gadgets.

[si_chindo]

i initially wanted to wait for the 3g capable playbook but it took to long and with the sales of the pb, it became too hard to resist. now that i see the beauty that is bridge, i dont see the need for a 3g version of the pb.

[El Platanero]

If it's not.LTE then there is no point in the states. Maybe this is for over seas because we will have LTE.by the end of this year by all carriers and they won't want to push 3g. I'm one of those sicko's that if RIM makes it and I can use it I will own it. I don't see the need for.a playbook that will be dated faster than the two that I already own.

[Pearl9100]

I will be buying one on day one. Because:
- I have cash to burn monthly
- I have cash put aside for it a,ready
- I develop for the PB and have a responsibility to make sure it stays stable
- I'm a techno hoarder
- I have said many times, my PB does exactly what I wanted and does what I bought it for. I get my money's worth everyone so why not.
- It will have faster Internet and I want fast 24/7 Internet access
- I would get rid of my phones before I would give up my tablets
Edit - I also own many tablets, and always get the newest

But I am a rarity

Eh. Just because you have "cash to burn monthly", doesn't mean you should spend it. The reason why so many people are in such bad shape is because they did not save. But hey, who am I to critique other people's spending habits? I buy lots of frivolous or extravagant things too.

But I can understand you buying it for work since you develop for the pb. So it makes sense for you to buy.

only the rich can throw money around on gadgets.

I agree. But I still see so many people in the ghettos who walk around with the iphone 4s or flat screen tvs

i initially wanted to wait for the 3g capable playbook but it took to long and with the sales of the pb, it became too hard to resist. now that i see the beauty that is bridge, i dont see the need for a 3g version of the pb.

Me too. I prefer bridge too. And I am always around wifi. The only time that I do not get wifi is when I am in my car. I wish the pb could sync up with my car. They both run QNX and I am sure all it takes is an app.

[green_ember]

But I still see so many people in the ghettos who walk around with the iphone 4s or flat screen tvs

You see people walking around the ghetto with flat screen tvs? lol

Sorry, couldn't resist!