Recently released in the US, Blackberry fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the Playbook in the UK, which is expected to arrive anytime soon. However, upon arrival, the RIM tablet faces stiff competition. There are a number of dual-core tablets offered by Android and Apple. So how does Blackberry plan to deal with the competition? Here are a few exciting announcements by RIM.
- BlackBerry Playbook
When released in the US, users noticed that the Playbook was released in a Wi-Fi-only version. Will there be any Wi-Fi and 3G versions available in the future? RIM’s tablet has no need for a 3G connection. It instead will make use of the Blackberry Bridge app. The Blackberry Bridge allows the tablet’s users to tether the tablet with Blackberry smartphones such as the Torch, Bold, and Curve 3G and make use of the smartphone’s 3G connection. This eliminates the need to subject yourself to another lengthy contract for a separate 3G connection. This will also allow you to sync your Blackberry contacts, calendar, and email. It is also possible to tether with iOS and Android handsets, but syncing will not be an option.
RIM also announced that they would be bridging the gap between Facebook and BBM. An update would bring the Blackberry Messenger to the Playbook, and an especially designed Facebook app would be available for the Playbook as well. This will be the first Facebook app especially designed for a tablet. The app offers side-by-side chat conversations, seamless video and photo viewing, and the ability to directly upload multimedia taken on the tablet to your profile in Facebook. Furthermore, an HDMI connector allows you to enjoy everything in much larger screen.
To top it all off, the Video Chat app was also announced. This allowed users to make use of video chat via Wi-Fi just like Apple’s FaceTime. If you thought these announcements made the tablet complete, think again. Coupled with a diverse application ecosystem (the ability to make use of both Android and Blackberry apps), the Blackberry Playbook is definitely the most diverse tablet in the market.
Source: Recombu
