RIM (Research In Motion Ltd.) has its own tablet on the way called Playbook, and has plans for software to allow it to run Google’s Android apps. With over 130,000 Android Apps to choose from at present, that’s a whole lot of love to give Playbook! Google’s Android Market has 6 times as many apps available as RIM’s BlackBerrry App World, with only 20,000.
RIM’s headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The company’s ambition for the Playbook is to stand out from the tablet crowd, being up against such devices as the iPad, Motorola XOOM, LG G-Slate and a multitude of other tablets. The BlackBerry 4g Playbook tablet will spark customer’s curiosity with the security and messaging of BlackBerry smartphones, and the extensive choice of Android apps.
RIM plans to bring the tablet to the U.S. market in the first quarter of 2011, then expand overseas. RIM’s stock rose 5.2% yesterday, its biggest gain in 3 months, and its highest level since May 2010. Last year RIM fell 14%, Google 4.2%, while Apple soared up 53%. RIM hopes to raise its revenue with the BlackBerry Playbook, as its share of the global smartphone market continues to decline.
Android is quickly rising up, as Android tablets grabbed 22% of global shipments in just 3 months to December 31, 2010. This is a huge increase from one year ago, and has brought down Apple’s share of the tablet market from 95% (3 months ago) to just 75% currently.
Jim Balsillie, RIM’s Co-Chief Executive Officer said, “RIM is building its tablet on QNX, software bought as part of a $200 million acquisition from Harman International Industries Inc. in April. QNX will give the PlayBook more reliability than rival operating systems built for smartphones and adapted for tablet devices.” Deciding to use QNX puts the PlayBook a step closer to Android, since they share the common Posix standard.
Wade Beavers, who runs mobile application developer DoApps Inc. in Minneapolis said, “I welcome an easier way to sell software to RIM customers. It was too much headache for too little return.” He previously made apps for BlackBerry, but now concentrates on Apple and Android devices.