Rough news for RIM: Apple’s iPad 2 will launch a month before the PlayBook

By on Mar 2, 2011 at 3:35 PM
Tablets March 2, 2011

Though not entirely unexpected, it turns out Apple’s second-generation iPad tablet will be released before the BlackBerry PlayBook hits store shelves in April. This could be a crushing blow to RIM and its PlayBook, which has already fallen under heavy scrutiny for not measuring up to Apple’s iOS offering according to bloggers, analysts and members of the press who have spent time with the tablet. Apple on Wednesday announced that its new iPad 2 will become available in stores and online beginning March 11th, a full month before the PlayBook is expected to launch on April 10th. The iPad, which already owns the consumer market, is quickly gaining ground in enterprise as well, so RIM’s plan to target businesses could easily be thwarted right out of the gate.

But that’s hardly the end of the story. The PlayBook’s shortcomings — namely its dependency on a tethered BlackBerry smartphone in order to use corporate email and other functions — may be compounded by the lack of apps available at launch for its new QNX platform. RIM is reportedly looking to overcome this barrier by supporting Android apps, but the iPad and iOS are still the tablet platform of choice for many mobile developers. And even if QNX does include Android app support, RIM will still need to get developers on board to create native flagship apps for QNX.

The bad news continues to mount, unfortunately, and we’re afraid the odds will certainly be stacked against the PlayBook at launch. Whether or not RIM’s first tablet will be able to rise to the occasion and sell well in spite of steep competition remains to be seen. If it does, however, it could end up being the biggest coup RIM will have managed in years.

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  • Unimpressed

    Talk about the specs Zach. Talk about what ipad 2 does better than anyone else. Oh! That’s right absolutely nothing. The ipad 2 is just a refresh and still does not measure up to the new entrants. You should be writing for the Inquirer or something.

  • Mushroomstampn

    Hi I didn’t repeat I can take to different people’s questions hey just no I have same answer. The blackberry does not have tethering out of the box for free. , unless they just added it last 60 days. You have more excuses than anything typical blackberry user. With the world’s slowest browser of any phone on the market

    • http://caspan.com Caspan

      The Torch now has the fastest web browser out there with WebKit so try again! BlackBerry does tether out of the box and I’m not going to teach you how go do some research and it has since Desktop Manager 4. And I don’t have excuses I have facts that back up my statements!

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

        hahahahaha, most consider the Torch a failure.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        No you think the Torch is a failure and so you think so must everyone else! Back up with facts or its only an opinion! Most of you are all the same all talk and no proof!

    • Anonymous

      The blackberry has been able to tether for at least the last 6 years I’ve been using them. And you can tether for free if you want, but that technically is a violation of your TOS with your carrier.

  • Anonymous

    As a BB fan I am very disappointed in RIM. The slow pace of RIM is very puzzling in deed. How could you let a company that has a one year head, start release their second tablet before you get your first to market? But I have no choice but to wait, because no one else is doing anything to make me not want a Playbook. However, if someone does bring something and RIM continues with the slow laid back approach, then I am gone. I want to see QNX on phones next year or I am moving on.

    • Anonymous

      Dude. Make the move now. you’re being ripped off with hardly any “fun” to do on your phone. I mean yea a phone is not a computer, but if you’re paying a high price a month, mind as well get it all right???? I mean, I had a BB Storm and was extremely excited as hell to have a bb smartphone! And bbm. but not as crazy for bbm as they are ‘trying’ to make it be. I used an ipod touch and I was blown away by how “cool” and more things at a wayyyyyyyyyyyyy faster pace than something opening or loading on a BB. You are missing out on a lot. Go Apple or Android. Best decision I ever made! Oh and RIM will never release many updates to their phones like Apple does. And I am talking about updates for your apps and updates to iOS. 4.3 update will come out soon and then 5.0. I mean, how many times does RIM roll out an OS update? See what I mean. Make the move this year. No more waiting. QNX may be new in future, but no app developer will support RIM. Cuz they are dead.

      • Anonymous

        I love when 15 year old’s predict that a multi-billion dollar corporation is dead.

        Newsflash – RIM isn’t dying. Nor is the Android marketplace. Nor is Apple. Just because RIM doesn’t offer what you want today does not mean they don’t offer what many others want… today.

        Most “adults” are resistant to change – and that’s not my opinion, that’s a fact, and millions are spent every year in the business world to train employees on newer / different technology. And this is not just for those “old fogies” out there – even the twenty-somethings have problems adapting to change after working with something for a couple years.

        Blackberries are highly functional and reliable messaging and communication devices that people are comfortable with. Their easy to get around. Difficult to break. They last. Do they play the most cutting edge games? No. Not yet… maybe a year or two when QNX has been perfected on the playbook and dropped down to the handheld. Regardless, RIM still sells a ton of devices every quarter/year and a any lull will be temporary at best in the long run.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        Amen!!!

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

        RIM might not be dead, but they are certainly circling the drain. Not to mention that they are about to get banned in India.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        Yeah banned because they have the most secure device in the world the government is so afraid they cant spy on it!! And because RIM took a big chunk from the consumer market and is not settling down into its real place is not circling the drain its called realistic positioning and happens! You can’t jump into a market that is this big eat a quarter of its share then expect that for ever, you have to realize its like a stock it goes up it goes down, RIM is doing just fine thanks for asking!

      • BigSheets

        To further the argument native apps won’t matter in the future…developers are realizing that people want apps that work on all platforms…therefore webapps and HTML5 will come into play…Also with carriers starting to feel the bandwidth crunch, they will have to start charging more to iPhone and android users because they have high bandwidth consumption. Look it up, Blackberry user’s use 1/3 of data compared to iphone users. Think of it as the automotive industry…back when Ford and GM were making high performance cars…Toyota was making affordable, efficient cars….suddenly gas prices rose and everyone wanted a fuel efficient car. It’s the same with bandwidth…there simply isn’t enough spectrum to support the growing number of smartphones…so if iphones and android don’t become better at compression, we will all have slow download speeds..

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

        No, webapps are not the future. If you are in an area with no conductivity, you have no apps. Get it

  • Anonymous

    This site and the market know that RIM has come and gone. Only those IN LOVE or business people will stick with RIM. They will be behind, far behind, but i am just glad to have left RIM before I kept getting ripped off per month with a boring Blackberry Storm (even when it actually worked!). BB OS can run, or may be able to run android apps? Haha. Talk about innovation. Glad to be iPhone 4 Verizon user. So much faster and hey, I look cool. Should have seen how much in love I was with a BB when I first got it, and hated Apple (for their slow update releases with product features until the next best thing). How embarrassing.

    • Cattonb

      plant

  • br14

    I’d love someone to explain to me why tethering is an issue. I just don’t see the problem.

    iPad users may like having two cellular wireless accounts, they’re obviously wealthy enough not to care, but for the rest of humanity tethering over Bluetooth is a useful and convenient way of avoiding additional costs. (Truth is most iPad sales are of the less expensive wi-fi version).

    As for enterprise, not having email data scattered around on relatively insecure devices is a bonus not a problem.

    I haven’t used a desktop mail client in years and all of my associates use web mail so I doubt most consumers would even notice the lack of a mail client.

    And where does this crazy notion Playbook will run Android apps come from. Right now the device doesn’t even have a JVM so supporting most Android apps will be somewhat of a challenge.

    Enterprise will devour the Playbook. Many companies run software from SAP and other vendors that deliver solutions using Flash. Try running those apps on an iPad.

    Steve Jobs made a huge mistake when he rejected Adobe and its pretty clear the early release of iPad 2 is a direct response to the threat from RIM.

    “Rough news for RIM” – hardly.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

    Steve Jobs > RIMs 2 out of touch CEOs

  • zviera

    Waiting patiently 4 more weeks for the PlayBook. With those specs and QNX software, it will be at least 2 years future proof. iPad2 is already behind Honeycomb software, not to mention hardware.
    There are people, who will always buy apple, doesn’t matter what and there are people, who will wait for they needs patiently.

  • Jmanb Jb

    You just wrote an article that said, “the iPad 2 is better than blackberry’s table because everyone said so…” where are your facts?! Who are these bloggers? members of the press? How are the qualified to make these statements? I totally get if you want to write a commentary as to why you love Steve jobs and you would be a rock if it had an Apple stamp on it, but don’t try to make your commentary look like actual facts when you have nothing to back it up. So what if you have to tether a blackberry to get enterprise email (I can’t even trust if that is true) and so what if the blackberry has SD card access, higher rez screen, a better multi-tasking OS, is lighter, doesn’t need a $40 adapter to port bids in HD, actually come out with 4G…. you keep talking about the enterprise thing…
    Be objective… stop be blinded by you love for Apple, you miss out on the rest of the world.

  • Zib

    How are you a writer?

  • Anonymous

    Hehe rough news for RIM. I don’t think so. The apple announcement was a snore. I don’t think anyone interested in the Playbook is going to now buy the iPad2. People that want the playbook either (1) want the full web which iPad 2 doesn’t give, (2) want or need security that that iPad 2 doesn’t have or (3) can’t stand the arrogance of apple and God Jobs. Bottom line iPad 2 will have minimal or zero impact on Playbook sales.

  • Jaxenroth

    D.O.A. sorry RIM, I left BB for Android, and have not looked back. Sad to see RIM just floundering around, and refreshing old devices. Not bashing RIM, just saying…

  • Anonymous

    “a crushing blow to RIM and its PlayBook, which has already fallen under heavy scrutiny for not measuring up to Apple’s iOS offering according to bloggers, analysts and members of the press who have spent time with the tablet”. ?!?!?!?

    fallen under heavy scrutiny for not measuring up to the ipad? Only if you’re talking to the apple fan club. Those outside the apple distortion field think the Playbook is arguably the best tablet out there.

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