Research In Motion co-Chief Executive Officer Jim Balsillie yesterday gave the first hints about pricing for the upcoming RIM PlayBook tablet in an interview with Bloomberg. Without providing real details, he indicated that it would sell for “under”US$500. It’s unclear just how far lower RIM will go. Will it sell for US$499 like the entry-level Apple iPad or is RIM set to go lower?
Balsillie also confirmed plans to start selling the PlayBook in North America in the first quarter of 2011 with global expansion to follow in the second quarter.
With RIM’s market share under pressure from Android devices and Apple’s iPhone, it’s clear that the company has high hopes for the PlayBook to help it reverse its fortunes.