Android Apps in BlackBerry PlayBook Not All Supported

When RIM unveiled the BlackBerry PlayBook last year, we thought Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s first-gen Galaxy Tab got a serious contender in today's tablet warfare.



But because more and more tablet makers have introduced their own slates, even before RIM made the official launch of its tablet – the hype for the PlayBook started fading gray. Loyal BlackBerry fans however, might still have supported the PlayBook; but RIM sales figure pegged not even to hit the 1-million mark in the first half of this year suggests it would never be a winner in the entire competition.

Definitely, the BlackBerry PlayBook has its own share of the pie and RIM may have attracted consumers with the tablet’s unique QNX-based operating system being capable of running Android applications. Yes, RIM once announced Android apps will support the PlayBook and it’s undeniably a good selling point any buyer should consider. But wait… Android apps indeed will support the PlayBook; however, there’s a catch. Not all features of Android are supported. And again, that’s according to the Canadian tablet maker.

Key features which will be unavailable to Android apps running under the compatibility layer on the PlayBook and future BlackBerry devices include Android's famed battery-sucking Live Wallpaper, SIP and SIP VoIP, anything built using the Native Development Kit, apps containing only App Widgets, and apps containing more than one activity tied to the Launcher.



In addition, any packages which rely on Google Maps, in-app billing services, Android's text-to-speech engine, or the cloud-to-device messaging system will all be rendered unusable under the company's runtime system.

So what does this exactly mean? It’s obviously a compromise Android experience. Period! But yeah, in all fairness with RIM, it’s still a commendable job bringing that Android App Player which does all the magic so Android apps will run in BlackBerry PlayBook. And hopefully PlayBook users will see it anytime soon.



Got a PlayBook? So how do you feel about this? Quite disappointing? Say it loud in the comment section below. [via]

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Made for PlayBook Accessories Are Awesome, yet Too Girly and a Bit Pricey

PlayBook fans, RIM has something awesome for your tablet!

Following the official release of BlackBerry PlayBook here in the Philippines, Research in Motion is now introducing an exclusive ‘Made for PlayBook’ accessories collection, created especially for you, BlackBerry Playbook fans. These accessories, basically, are cases designed to both personalise and protect the tablet.



The Made for PlayBook cases features seven contrasting designs by the global brands including Delvaux, Valextra, Ettinger, Brooklyn, Porter, WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie, and Ganzo. RIM says each of these brands was handpicked for its craftsmanship, quality, functionality and attention to detail, which are all values at the core of the BlackBerry brand.



Hit the slideshow below for the designs and for your viewing pleasure as well.





These cases are undeniably elegant, but in my own personal point of view, they some of the designs are also just too girly. And it’s quite even more surprising to hear the prices range from P8,400 to P19,000 (let’s say “Hi!” to Apple!), although it speaks for the styles and of course, the exclusivity and the brands! After all, it’s your call whether to shell out extra cash or not.J So what do you think?

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Sun Cellular Also Offer BlackBerry PlayBook Plans Bundled with BlackBerry Smartphones!

Now you’ve got to choose which of the three networks in the country your preferred carrier for BlackBerry PlayBook is.



Yeah, the BlackBerry PlayBook by the Canadian phone maker RIM, which recently made a landfall in our territory will not just make its way to Globe Telecom and Smart Communications; but will also be available through Sun Cellular. And like Smart and Globe -- Sun Cellular will offer the PlayBook bundled with a BlackBerry handset. Plan starts at Php 999 to Php 3500 with one-time cash out, which of course varies between the 16GB and 32GB version of the tablet. See price schedule below.

Click to enlarge

If you’re interested, you may visit your nearest Sun Shop or you may call 888 from your Sun Cellular mobile phone or through your landline at (02) 397-8888.

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BlackBerry PlayBook in Smart, Available for Pre-Order Today (Sort of…)

I keep on checking SMART’s pre-order page for BlackBerry PlayBook since this morning, but it seemed the link we got from its press release is broken.

The last time I checked was probably just several minutes before I published this post. We are supposed to see the pre-order page on this link: www.smart.com.ph/bbplaybook. I’m thinking though Smart moved the page to another location or probably they left it unnoticed.



But anyway, at least we know by now that Smart Communications will be offering plans for BlackBerry PlayBook. The PR says pre-order of the unit will start today until August 17, 2011. Subscribers can get the PlayBook for free with a BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 at Plan 3000, or with a BlackBerry Torch 9800 at Plan 4000. Buyers will be notified by phone once the unit becomes available. Bundle offers are available on a 24-month contract.



Last month, Globe Telecom started offering BlackBerry PlayBook plans which are also bundled with BlackBerry smartphones.



The PlayBook was officially released here in the Philippines last Saturday, August 6th; with a suggested retail price just the same that of the Wi-Fi variants of iPad 2. You may read Smart’s full press release after the break.



Click to Read Press Release

Get the BlackBerry PlayBook from Smart



Leading wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is readying its freshest pick of gadget goodies as it puts the highly anticipated BlackBerry® PlayBook™ up for pre-order.



Powerful and Portable



The BlackBerry PlayBook, from Canada-based Research In Motion (RIM), features an ultra-portable design and delivers industry leading performance, uncompromised web browsing with support for Adobe® Flash®, true multitasking, HD multimedia, advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a robust development environment.



The tablet packs a powerful 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB RAM inside a thin 0.4-inch chassis weighing less than a pound.



Internet in a Flash



The Web is a multimedia environment and one of the things that makes it so is Adobe Flash support, which comes standard on the BlackBerry PlayBook providing you the same rich Internet experience you get with a notebook or a desktop computer.



What’s more, the BlackBerry PlayBook comes with dual HD cameras for video capture that can record full HD videos (1080p) and for users to video-chat with other PlayBook users over Wi-Fi®.



You can also extend the capabilities of your BlackBerry PlayBook with access to a wide range of mobile applications that are readily available on BlackBerry App World™, the official app store for BlackBerry products. Choose from thousands of games and applications such as eBooks, social networking, productivity tools and more.



If you carry a BlackBerry® smartphone, you can benefit from BlackBerry® Bridge, a free app that can be downloaded on App World for the smartphone. Bridge lets you pair your tablet and smartphone (using a secure Bluetooth® connection) allowing you to seamlessly access your email, BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger) messages, calendar, address book, documents and other content on your BlackBerry smartphone and view it on the tablet’s brilliant, high-resolution, 7-inch display.



Available today



The BlackBerry PlayBook is available for pre-order from August 8 until August 17, 2011 from www.smart.com.ph/bbplaybook. Get it for free with a BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 at Plan 3000 or with a BlackBerry Torch 9800 at Plan 4000. Buyers will be notified by phone once the unit becomes available. Bundle offers are available on a 24-month contract.



Smart also offers services for BlackBerry smartphones in prepaid configurations to suit the needs of every user. BlackBerry Unlimited Data Plans are available for as low as P50 for one day of unlimited surfing or for as low as P35 a day for unlimited email and messaging.



For those into social networking services such as Facebook® and Twitter™, Smart also offers the BlackBerry Lite Social Bundle at just P35 a day.



The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.

Update: Pre-order page is up now. Click here!

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Globe Bundles Up BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry Smartphone in Single Plan

The BlackBerry PlayBook is expected to land in the Philippines and will be available in authorized retail stores and mobile operators come August 6.



And as some of you may already knew, the PlayBook only supports Wi-Fi connectivity and don’t have native 3G functionality. The PlayBook could be disappointing if you’re looking for a tablet which support both 3G and Wi-Fi technologies, or if you prefer a tablet which you can use to connect to the internet outside Wi-Fi hotspots. And because the PlayBook is lacking 3G support, it would be difficult for Telcos to offer data plan for the tablet.



But no, RIM actually designed the PlayBook that way. The Canadian smartphone maker thought the lack of 3G support on its tablet can be resolved through its app called BlackBerry Bridge. Basically, the BlackBerry Bridge is an app you can download to a BlackBerry smartphone to get access to email, calendar, contacts, and etc. on a separate tablet device. In other words, BlackBerry Bridge may allow the PlayBook to access the internet by tethering connection from a BlackBerry smartphone.



Here’s the catch though. Since the BlackBerry Bridge only works between BlackBerry devices, that simply means you will always need a BlackBerry smartphone to access the web in PlayBook. Being said that, Globe Telecom now offers a plan for the PlayBook which is bundled with a BlackBerry smartphone. You can check the matrix below for details of each plan.

Click to enlarge

The offer is of limited-time only, from July 22 to 29, and available stocks are limited as well. Globe says the offer is just exclusive for online applicants and they will start shipping ordered units nationwide starting August 3. If you’re interested, you may hit this link to pre-order your units.

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BlackBerry PlayBook Philippine Price Gets Official, Available Come August 6th

Now at least we have the firm release date of RIM’s first tablet here in the Philippines.

The BlackBerry PlayBook will hit local shelves come August 6th and as expected only Wi-Fi version is available in 3 variants. The slate has a suggested retail price as listed below, all of which are protected with a 12-month warranty.



BlackBerry PlayBook (Wi-Fi) Price Schedule:



16GB at P23,990

32GB at P28,990

64GB at P33,990



Those who have been eyeing for this tablet can head over to authorized retail stores and mobile operators in the country starting August 6th.



Just in case you didn’t notice, the Philippine price of each model of BlackBerry PlayBook is actually the same with the local price of each Wi-Fi Only model of iPad 2. It’s the same thing you should have noticed with the SRPs of BlackBerry PlayBook and iPad 2 in the US. That means if you’ll compare the two, you’ve to disregard the price and instead, focus more on the design, functionality, performance, support, and among others.



Check out BlackBerry PlayBook specs and features below followed with the official press release.



BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing

7-inch WSVGA (1024x600) capacitive LCD touch screen display

1 GHz dual-core processor

1 GB RAM

16, 32, and 64 GB internal storage

Dual 1080p HD cameras for video conferencing and video capture (3MP front and 5MP rear)

MP3, AAC and WMA audio playback

Support for high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV) 1080p HDMI output

GPS, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), 6-Axis Motion Sensor (Gyroscope), Digital Compass (Magnetometer)

Stereo speakers and stereo microphones

Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity

Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support

5.1” x 7.6” x 0.4” (130mm x 194mm x 10mm)

0.9 lbs (425g)



Click to Read Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Available in the Philippines on 6 August



Manila, the Philippines – 21 July 2011 – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet will be available in the Philippines from 6th August 2011. The BlackBerry PlayBook will come in three Wi-Fi® models, featuring 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of memory storage, and will be available nation-wide from authorized retail stores and mobile operators with a 12-month warranty.



“The BlackBerry PlayBook is an incredibly powerful and feature-rich tablet that is ideal for both business and personal use,” said Gregory Wade, Regional Managing Director at Research In Motion. “You really need to hold the BlackBerry PlayBook in your hand to fully appreciate how much it stands out in terms of power and portability, and so we encourage customers to visit a retail store and try it out for themselves,” added Wade.



The BlackBerry PlayBook features an ultra-portable design and delivers industry leading performance, uncompromised web browsing with support for Adobe® Flash®, true multitasking, HD multimedia, advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a robust development environment.



BlackBerry PlayBook specifications include:



• 7" 1024x600 WSVGA capacitive LCD touch screen

• Ultra-portable at less than a pound and less than one-half inch thick: 0.9 lbs (425g) and 5.1” x 7.6” x 0.4” (130mm x 194mm x 10mm)

• 1 GHz dual-core processor

• BlackBerry® Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing

• MP3, AAC and WMA audio playback

• Support for high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV) 1080p HDMI output

• Dual 1080p HD cameras for video conferencing and video capture (3MP front and 5MP rear)

• 1 GB RAM memory

• Up to 64 GB internal storage (16, 32 and 64 GB models)

• GPS, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), 6-Axis Motion Sensor (Gyroscope), Digital Compass (Magnetometer)

• Stereo speakers and stereo microphones

• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity

• Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR support



For more information about the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, please visit http://ph.blackberry.com/playbook



About Research In Motion (RIM)



Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

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BlackBerry PlayBook Gets Official Price, Available April 19th in US and Canada

The Canadian Telco, Research In Motion (RIM), finally announced the availability together with the official price of the much-anticipated BlackBerry PlayBook.



The PlayBook is the company’s first tablet set to retail comes April 19th in more than 20,000 sales outlets in the US and Canada.

The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi will come in three models, featuring 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage priced at $499, $599 and $699 respectively.



Just in case you didn’t notice, the official price for every PlayBook variant is actually just the same of the WiFi-only versions of the iPad 2. That means, if you’re going to choose between the PlayBook and iPad 2 – you probably don’t need to look at the price schedule.



Best Buy online stores in the US and Canada are already accepting pre-orders starting today. If you think of getting one, just head over here and here. Don't forget to check this demo to help you decide.

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BlackBerry PlayBook Demo’d, Well – It’s Awesome!

BGR just had a quick video walk-through of the BlackBerry PlayBook which is expected to be out in the market early next year.

We had already seen how the BlackBerry PlayBook beats the iPad in terms of browser speed as well as Flash and HTML5 performance, though that was quite biased because of the PlayBook’s hardware advantage over iPad. If you mind, the BlackBerry PlayBook is powered by a 1GHz dual core A9 chip while the iPad is only using the single core A8 chip of the same clock speed.



Well, after watching the video – I can say that as long as RIM offers the tablet at a reasonable price, there’s no reason it will sell pretty well. Watch the video after the break and do share your comments below. [via]





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