Sprint cancels plans to launch 4G BlackBerry PlayBook citing lack of demand

By on Aug 12, 2011 at 3:00 PM
Breaking August 12, 2011

Sprint has abandoned its plans to launch a version of Research In Motion’s BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with an embedded 4G WiMAX radio. The nation’s No. 3 wireless carrier cited a lack of demand among business customers as its reasoning for the cancellation, The Wall Street Journal reports. “It’s an interesting concept, it just hasn’t caught on with business customers as much as they would like,” said president of Sprint’s business markets group, Paget Alves. “There are so many tablets in the market, it creates confusion for the average customer.” Sprint announced in January that it would release a 4G BlackBerry PlayBook sometime this summer, and a Sprint spokesperson told The Journal that the decision to not release the 4G PlayBook will have no impact on the carrier’s relationship with RIM.

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  • Anonymous

    RIM dreams over. Go the way of Nokia, go with WP7 or join the Android army. You are already testing Android apps on your devices. Assimilate! Resistance is futile!

  • http://twitter.com/fyrfyter33 fyrfyter33

    The PlayBook is officially a flop! I think they should just go ahead and discontinue it. What a waste. The BBOS obviously was never designed with a tablet in mind!

    • Rocker

      The PB OS is not BBOS, get your stuff straight.

    • zacamandapio

      Didn’t get that joke.

    • Applesucksfatties

      Are you an idiot?   PlayBook runs QNX OS.  Ever heard of it?  Nuclear facilities, high end cars, and multiple other devices all run the QNX OS…     Maybe you should stick to fire fighting…

      • http://www.droiddoes.com/ Norm

        Nuclear facilities? Lol. No

      • Applesucksfatties

        Google “Nuclear plant powers up on real-time OS” …and then read what you find (since iBGR isn’t letting me post the link).  

      • Applesucksfatties

        what?  no comment?  I wonder how many high end cars and nuclear power plants there are in the world that Android or iOS are powering?  

      • Anonymous

        ATMs, etc … Too bad RIM is going to run them into the ground.

      • Applesucksfatties

        Don’t you have some fart apps to be playing with on your iToy?  

      • Anonymous

        Which iToy would that be? The Kaiser? The TouchPro? The HD2? The M900? The G2?

        Which?

      • http://twitter.com/fyrfyter33 fyrfyter33

        RIM is good at one thing, Blackberry devices. That’s it. the BBOS regardless of QNX or any other company RIM buys, was not designed for tablets. I don’t care what kind of high end crap it runs on. It blows as a tablet OS. Plain and simple. If you quit sucking on fatties, you will probably figure this out.

      • Applesucksfatties

        I happen to be using one now.  In your OPINION, why does it “blow”?  

        ps.   I know it is hard to believe but my name isn’t Apple….so I’m not the one sucking on fatties.

    • Steve Jenkins

      You officially a flop! I think you should just go ahead and discontinue posting. What a waste. Your posts were obviously never written with intellectual people in mind!

  • Chet Stovepiper

    OUCH!

  • Anonymous

    wow

  • Max

    Bwahahahahahahaha RIMjobbing morons you are ALONe in the tech world! Nobody wants one but you idiots!

    • Bermey23

      You are an idiot

    • Applesucksfatties

       Max, I wouldn’t expect you to actually read the article before you shared your “wise” words with us.   I’m guessing that since WiMax is basically dead, Sprint decided not to pursue WiMax PlayBooks.    Now run along little boy.. your mommy is calling you to get ready for dinner.

    • Steve Jenkins

      Max, Sprint lied and you believe it because your an idiot…

  • Anonymous

    FLOP!!

  • Anonymous

    Most likely because of the delays to the native apps.  Such a shame that RIM couldn’t get those apps finished in time to make the PlayBook a hit!

    • Bermey23

      The playbook hasnt drowned yet.. this is a matter of incompetence by the twin ceo’s.. the playbook is by far thr best tablet on the best tab market.. but it wasn’t executed properly.

      • MushroomStampN

        you’re  either on crack on know NOTHING of the market.  It doesn’t even have native support email and calendaring. No way to directly sync with exchange.  and the Apps.. ROFL.. What apps.. 

      • Anonymous

        You think that the two CEOs are responsible for the failure of a product launch? What about marketing? What about R&D? What about the dev team? It takes an entire organization to make and launch a product. Leadership does carry a heavy blame but it takes more than just them

      • Anonymous

        An they are responsible for all of it. It did not launch unfinished without their approval, but it did launch unfinished.

      • Anonymous

        best tablet is definitely not the playbook, you are retarded.

      • Anonymous

        I agree.  I own and iPad 2 and a PlayBook and I use my PlayBook 95% of the time.  I find myself preferring websites more than apps and the PlayBook has a better browsing experience, even with the smaller screen.

        Both are really amazing tablets though and both have lots of room for improvement.

  • Anonymous

    The device should be renamed the CrapBook.

    • Anonymous

      Another troll that obviously hasn’t used one. Man, you guys are persistent!

      • Anonymous

        I wish I could have found one at the price I just bought my TouchPad for. (300.00) I’m not biased against tablets at all…

        …. Unless of course they’re android.

    • Applesucksfatties

      Judging by your post, you should be rename CrapHead…

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001272551741 Ogami Itto

      It’s actually not bad. I really like QNX and lots of us see potential in it. Too bad it was launched unfinished. I’m sure it will get better.

  • Every RIM-jobber

    BIAS! BAIS! BGR hates RIM! OMG just look at this post! Something bad happened to RIM so BGR is obviously BIASED! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

  • Anonymous

    *Insert generic “RIM is dead!” “Beginning of the end!” “RIP RIM!” remark here*

    You trolls are so predictable… and wrong. But knock yourselves out nonetheless.

  • http://twitter.com/justinkramp Justin Kramp

    Maybe they could license webOS to install on those warehoused PlayBooks. Would be a step in the right direction.

    • Anonymous

      Why trade one dying OS for an already dead one?

      • Anonymous

        exactly

      • Anonymous

        lol

  • Anonymous

    Another troll that obviously hasn’t used one. Man, you guys are persistent!

    • Bermey23

      I know the first time i come to this site looking for genius and all i find is mediocrity.. rename the site to Boy Childish Report

      • Anonymous

        Go to engadget faggot

      • PN9

        U slick @#$@@ – you’re the one with a profile with 1578 comments on Engadget. Who’s the faggot now? 

      • Applesucksfatties

        PN9.. don’t pick on Biotech.. he is a big bad biotechnology student.   He knows EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING…     I can see him now..  overalls and banjo music.. running around calling everyone “faggot”.    How about you come back in a few years when you are mature enough to know that calling someone a “faggot” (or just using the word in general) isn’t cool.

        Ps. Save all of your “faggot” comments back to me as I’m happily married with children.

      • Anonymous

        I’m sorry to hear that you have offspring

      • Applesucksfatties

        I’m sorry to hear you are such a dipshit for being a big bad biotechnology student.  To think, idiots like you will be the future of human kind some day.   One could only hope that you have stopped using the word “faggot” by then.  

        BTW….. Did you ever find your needle dick in the microscope? 

      • Anonymous

        I didn’t need to use a microscope to find my cock…I used your wife’s mouth for that bitch…please stop replying to me… U hate apple, good for you

      • Applesucksfatties

        Oooh.. good one.  How original!!   I hate Apple.. and I also hate people who you ignorant derogatory words like “faggot”…    and if you don’t want me to reply to you.. then stop spouting your mouth back…. it is as easy as that.

      • Anonymous

        Lol hahaha

      • Steve Jenkins

        kill yourself…

      • Anonymous

        Try again faggot

    • Anonymous

      You haven’t used one either.

    • Applesucksfatties

      OOh.. wayzom got you.   Next, I’m sure he’ll come back with “My dad is bigger than your dad”…

  • Scott Gold

    It’s amazing to me how this new is “Breaking” anymore.  With every new story about RIM I continue to get numb.  Does this shock anyone anymore?

  • Satya Chowdary

    Ya playbook sucks, its even worse than the ipad….

    • Applesucksfatties

      Hey chowderhead…  just because it doesn’t have Angry Birds or a million fart apps doesn’t make it worse than the iPad.  Yes, currently it doesn’t have native email or calendar.. but I have a BB to bridge with it.. so I really could care less.

  • Anonymous

    Playbook is in desperate need of  the Android App Player they promised…..

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001272551741 Ogami Itto

      I think they should focus on finishing QNX before jumping on Android.

  • Starfleet k

    It is more than likeley the fact that sprint is dropping WiMax (which the PlayBook was suppose to be) as the reason to drop it.

  • Pavel Bure

    Ummm….what part of “why install on wimax” when sprint has already stated that LTE is going to be their new standard do some of you not understand? 

    • Applesucksfatties

      Most people that post on iBGR can’t read past a 3rd grade level.. that is why they love Apple products so much..  they can just click on the app icon.  

  • http://MobileGenius.wordpress.com JM

    They bothered to state that there would be no impact upon their relationship with RIM? Somehow I have trouble believing that unless RIM decided to not offer it along with Sprint.

    And…it hasn’t caught on with business customers because it doesn’t offer even basic functions. No email, calendar, or contacts? Seriously…

  • http://twitter.com/smartphone_info Smartphone Report

    So, no WiMax radio for the BB PlayBook? Is that really a big deal? I mean instead, can’t we all just get the Wi-Fi only version that Sprint has had for months, and either HotSpot from our EVO 3D or a MiFi box?

    These 3G/4G tabs are just crazy investments anyways – Verizon is selling the Galaxy Tab (7″) for $199.99 with 2 year contract or $499.99 without. The Wi-Fi version can be had for $299 with some wheeling and dealing and can run off a Verzion LTE hotspot…

    To us, this just makes Sprint and RIM seem a bit smarter… For now…

    • http://twitter.com/smartphone_info Smartphone Report

      PS – Who’s gonna dump $500 in to a tablet anyways – if RIM wanted to sell some playbooks, get down to that $299 point where Android Tabs are and move some product. If it ain’t Apple, it isn’t going to fetch more than $450 now – and that’s a 32GB model.

  • http://www.allegrotechie.blogspot.com Allegrotechie

    I know all the RIM lovers say that RIM isn’t dead, but to be fair… this has never happened to a tablet on the market today. RIM is losing

    • Steve Jenkins

      RIM isnt building a Playbook with WiMax, so Sprint lied, and you fail at being knowledgable…

  • Anonymous

    Sprint called it lmao, RIM is not in demand so no they don’t want it lol they did say they are looking to only get high “QUALITY ” products lmao

  • Anonymous

    Oh wow, OK thats really messed up when you think about it. WOw.

    http://www.anon-vpn.it.tc

  • Anonymous

    Why buy the Blackaberry PlayBook on Sprint? While Sprint owners have the good EVO FLYER

  • Anonymous

    By the way, I just paîd $21.87 for an îPad 2-64GB and my boyfriend loves his Panasonîc Lumîx GF 1 Camera that we got for $38.76 there arriving tomorrow by UPS.I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 40 inch LED TV to my boss for $657 which only cost me $62.81 to buy.
    Here is the website we use to get it all from, http://BidsFirst.com

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