According to Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu, Research in Motion may delay the release of their highly anticipated tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook, due to poor battery performance. Wu claims that his sources are telling him that the BlackBerry PlayBook only gets a couple of hours of battery life compared to 6 hours on the Android powered Galaxy Tab and 10 hours on the iPad. It may take RIM until May to get the battery issues resolved which would be seen as a huge miss for RIM, and, the worst possible timing ever.
The iPad was the only game in town until the Galaxy Tab came out and RIM had the opportunity to be the first dual-core tablet on the market early next year, however, if the PlayBook launch date slips into May, beyond the release of the 2nd generation iPad as well as the launch of every other tablet coming in the first half of next year, the PlayBook will be seen as an also have device as compared to a market leader.
If these battery issue rumors are true Research in Motion needs to do everything possible to address them and release the PlayBook in Q1. RIM doesn’t have the luxury of having tens of millions of users already using their tablet and there is really no reason for a consumer wanting a tablet device to wait when there are so many more options available to them won’t be perceived as having had issues even before they were released.
[Via BGR]
Wow… It would be devastating for the BlackBerry PlayBook if it is delayed until after the iPad 2.
Bump. It happened.
I have an iPad but was waiting on the PlayBook because it fits into your jacket pocket. RIM better hope that Apple doesn’t have a 7″ ipad up their sleeve.
Another unsubstantiated rumor from Wu getting time in the blogs as if it were actually news…
a huge, huge miss based on incompetence. i thought it was bad enough to miss the holidays, but this is far worse, given that RIM and RIM alone is responsible for building expectations on the device and its availability.
This would be even worse for their phone line of products. OS 6 may be here longer than we thought since the software is the issue.
Agreed. I think we may see a morph of QNX and OS6 into OS7.
IF this is true, then it would not be good. But, who knows if it is.
On another note, I noticed RIM is obsessed with battery life. Not a bad thing from the viewpoint of a person who wants their device to last for a day, but not so good when the competitive devices are less obsessed with it and their devices are still selling very well. They really do need to just branch a separate line. They should have just come out with a phone that was a full departure from what they have now (work on the tablet AFTER said phone). This line’s focus would be multimedia experience and BBM. Not so much on e-mail (although it would be capable of doing it as well as the other devices). Even give it Exchange support, but not running through RIM’s servers. If the UI were good, and the overall design impressive, it would sell. Right now the obsession with battery life (rightfully what helped them make a name for themselves) is actually holding them back. Yes, keep battery life in your sights RIM, but at least try something different.
I just hope that RIM isn’t throwing out the good for the perfect….
Although I didn’t get to touch the PlayBook, I did see it live and in person at an event a couple of weeks ago. I thought that it was interesting that there was no battery indicator on the home screen. I didn’t think much of it then, but, I think that we know why now.
Seems they are looking for what they consider perfect though. Great to want that, but consumers are showing that, for some, its not as important. So, make a line that is for that and then stick to great battery life devices for corporate. If corporate chooses to go with the consumer line, or allow their employees to utilize it, then that is their call. Seems to be working for my employer. You can get an Blackberry or iPhone issued or purchase your own device. If you purchase your own device, they can add you to BES or give Exchange access (via iPhone or Android device). They would very likely do the same for a consumer BB with Exchange capability.
RIM releases statement on BlackBerry PlayBook battery life…
Well RIM is totally at a loss if the Playbook is delayed…. You see, you announce your product way back in September and at that time you say that it will be launched in Q1 and now when it’s already the time for its launch, this happens…..!!! I had been waiting to buy it for like quite some time….had restricted myself for not buying other tablets…… but i guess if this happens, ill have to lay my hands on some other tablet….
Thats not a way RIM should be doing…..the battery problem should have been in their mind before announcing the tablet….