With RIM’s next-generation BlackBerry devices still months away, the company is stuck peddling a lot of fairly unremarkable products, perhaps none more so than the unloved BlackBerry PlayBook, which has proven to be a major disappointment for both the company and its customers.
A few days ago, we reported on a significant – albeit temporary – price cut on the PlayBook in the US, with all models available to buy for just $299. Now, RIM has similarly slashed prices on its tablet range in the UK, for the second time in three months.
When the PlayBook launched in the UK last June, the 16GB version retailed at £399 ($620 USD / €480 EUR); by October, RIM had dropped the price to £250 ($390 / €300); today, Tom's Hardware reports that you can pick up the entry-level PlayBook for just £169 ($260 / €205), a drop of 58% on the original retail price in less than seven months.
Unlike in the US, where all models are currently selling for the same price, you’ll have to pay more in the UK if you want a PlayBook with larger storage capacities – the 32GB version is going for £199 ($310 / €240), while the 64GB model is selling for £329 ($510 / €400).
Even at these prices, though, will anybody want to buy one? With a flurry of new tablets set to be announced at CES, and Amazon’s Kindle Fire also expected to land in the UK soon, British buyers might want to save their pennies for a more capable device on which to splash their cash.
20 Comments - Add comment