Press Release: Best Buy Begins Accepting Orders For BlackBerry PlayBook Today
Minneapolis, MN and Waterloo, ON – Customers eagerly awaiting the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet can begin placing their orders today. Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) and Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), a preferred retailer for the BlackBerry PlayBook, today announced the pricing and launch date for the highly anticipated tablet in the U.S. and Canada.
The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi will come in three models, featuring 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage at $499, $599 and $699 respectively. It is scheduled to be available from all Best Buy stores and Best Buy Mobile stores in the US, as well as Best Buy and Future Shop* stores in Canada, on April 19. Customers in the US and Canada can place their orders beginning today by visiting their local Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile or Future Shop store or by ordering on-line (after 8am ET) at:
U.S. – www.bestbuy.com/playbook
Canada – www.bestbuy.ca/blackberry or www.futureshop.ca/blackberry
“Previews of the BlackBerry PlayBook have generated tremendous excitement and we know that customers are eager to get their hands on one,” said Craig McLennan, Regional Managing Director, North America, Research In Motion. “We share that excitement and we are very pleased to announce that customers can begin placing their orders with Best Buy today.”
“Tablets are becoming a bigger part of our business everyday and the launch of the BlackBerry PlayBook will heighten the level of excitement in this category,” said Scott Anderson, head of merchandising for Best Buy Mobile. “RIM has a tremendous history of producing great mobility products for our customers and we are excited to help launch the BlackBerry PlayBook.”
BlackBerry PlayBook is the world’s first professional-grade tablet. It features an ultra-portable design and delivers industry leading performance, uncompromised web browsing with support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, true multitasking, HD multimedia, advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a robust development environment.
BlackBerry PlayBook specifications:
- 7″ 1024×600 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 www.blackberry.com/playbook.
About Research In Motion
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.
About Best Buy Mobile
Best Buy Mobile was founded in 2006 with a goal of changing the way consumers shop for and purchase mobile phones in America. Today, Best Buy Mobile is in every Best Buy store and also has 178 Best Buy Mobile specialty stores around the country. Best Mobile features one of the largest selections of carriers, handsets and accessories available anywhere. Employees undergo at least 80 hours of intensive training, as well as continuing education on mobile phone technology and trends to help customers get the most of their mobile phones. For more information about Best Buy Mobile, visit www.bestbuy.com/mobile or www.bestbuymobile.com.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $49 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Best Buy Mobile; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; and The Phone House. Approximately 180,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way Best Buy does business. In fiscal 2010, Best Buy donated a combined $25.2 million to improve the vitality of the communities where their employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visitwww.bestbuy.com.
* Future Shop stores operate as a division of Best Buy Canada Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc.