Here’s another notch RIM can put on its belt. According to ‘The Economic Times’, the BlackBerry PlayBook performed better on its opening day than both Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Motorola’s Xoom. Granted, RIM doesn’t look to have an iPad on its hands, but with an estimated 50,000 units sold on its first day, it appears many analysts underestimated the Canadian giant.
RIM has received quite a bit of backlash in the media following several unfavorable reviews of its entry into tablets, better known as the PlayBook. While the device certainly excels on paper, the software had room to grow, not to mention an over-dependence on a BlackBerry smartphone. Despite the limitations for non-BlackBerry owners, the PlayBook has been well received and bested both the original Android tablet (though we’d probably say a 7-inch Android smartphone) and Google’s flagship Honeycomb slate — this is no small feat.
So how did RIM managed to sell 50,000 PlayBooks on its opening day? 25,000 units were pre-orders and retail sales accounted for at least 20,000 units, with some retail locations selling out within 24 hours. According to the firm, many of the 180 Best Buy locations selling the PlayBook were out of stock. As the rest of the world gears up for its own release of the PlayBook, it appears the sky is the limit. The UK release is still on track for a release this June, just in time for the Android app player — bringing thousands of Android apps to RIM’s slate.
Anyone else reconsidering a PlayBook purchase given the strong reception in North America?
via readwriteweb
