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RIM Playbook sales start on a disappointing note

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The much awaited Playbook starts lackluster, leaving investors concerned for its future

Research in Motion, the company behind the hugely successful Blackberry brand, may not be able to keep up the same reputation with their first tablet called the Playbook – or as the sales figures say.

The Playbook was launched across several retail outlets across US and Canada but found it difficult to move out of the shelf. The sales are so poor that a few store in NY and Toronto struggled to push their stock of 5 units – as reported by Reuters.

It was not so bad at the launch time, when there were queues outside few shops, but the craze seems to have died down quickly. WSJ reports of moderate sales across several retailers in NY and Toronto on Tuesday.

The reasons for this lackluster sales figure can be the tough reviews it got from a number of influential reviewers just before the launch. It was looked down upon as a device that was too dependent on a smartphone for personal organization management. But then the device shone on a few other areas Blackberry was not known for – like multimedia playback and camera features. It also excels in internet browsing and multi-tasking. The price is also comparable to the iPad, starting at $499.

"It's not going to be in the same league as the iPad," said an IDC analyst. We think it is unlikely that the Playbook will even suppress the Galaxy Tab. Only time will tell if it goes past the others like Xoom or Eee Pad etc.

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Pallab Jyotee Hazarika, 2011-04-20 (Update: 2012-05-26)