Research In Motion is currently working on a new tablet. The Canadian company must do something in order to boost sales, and RIM’s board seems to think that a new PlayBook is the answer. Whether or not a brand new tablet will save RIM from financial demise is unknown. What is known is that a prototype of the new PlayBook has been leaked on a Vietnamese forum. This forum tends to be particularly reliable and tech blogs across the globe are going with the released photos and information that has already been published.
This is to say that RIM hasn’t actually released anything about the new tablet officially. But, rumors of a new PlayBook have been circulating for a while now, so it’s really just a matter of time before the tablet actually hits the market. If you love RIM, are interesting in a tablet, or just want to see what the company has been up to, here’s a sneak peek at what Research In Motion might be releasing this coming fall.
Tablet Size
The PlayBook is a good tablet – really. Even though RIM released the original PlayBook before it was actually ready to send to market (a bit mistake), the tablet itself is a decent one. That said, the new version of the PlayBook would be larger than the older version. Photos released show a screen size that appears almost double the size of the original PlayBook screen. The tablet is also larger than the previous 7-inch PlayBook version, which some people might find appealing.
It has also been noted that the new PlayBook will come with a SIM card slot, which can only mean that the tablet will be connected to cell radios. If you’re wondering when this tablet will be released, your guess is as good as any, but it pays to keep in mind that the new RIM BB10 OS was delayed. Why is this significant? Seemingly, RIM doesn’t want to release a product that’s not in line with its new OS. After all, RIM has made the mistake of releasing a product too early before, and that mistake cost the company a lot of consumer faith.
Is This New Tablet Enough to Save RIM?
It’s possible that the new PlayBook will be great. If the PlayBook is better than most other tablets on the market, receives a good amount of press, and is actually ready to be shipped when RIM decides to release it, this tablet may just be able to save the failing company. Of course, RIM also has to clean up its corporate structure, but this seems to be on the mend. Then again, it might be too little too late for RIM, since consumer confidence has already been shaken. But, I will repeat that the PlayBook in its original form is a decent tablet that didn’t really get a fair shake. So, the new PlayBook might be all that RIM should have done to being with, and then that would be a tablet to contend with.
Should you rush out an buy stock in RIM? That depends on how risky you like to play things. Should you rush out and buy a new PlayBook when it arrives? Maybe not; but you should definitely head to the nearest retailer selling the new PlayBook and see what RIM is offering this time around.