BlackBerry PlayBook gets US launch date

The BlackBerry PlayBook will launch in the US and Canada on 19 April.

Research in Motion (RIM) confirmed the release today, with pre-orders now being accepted from Best Buy stores across the continent.

There was still a lack of a solid date for UK customers to be able to get their hands on the device though.

A spokesperson from the company told IT PRO: "The release is [set] for calendar Q2 but no date has been confirmed."

The North America launch did give customers pricing though, with the 16GB model costing $499 (304), the 32GB model priced up at $599 and the 64GB model coming in at $699. All three are Wi-Fi only.

We got a first look at the tablet at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. See the video demo below or read our review here.

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.

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