BlackBerry Slashes PlayBook Prices For UK Market

UK retailers have dropped the price of the BlackBerry PlayBook to £169.

This follows a price cut in US markets to $299 (£192) for the top of the range model, where previous prices for an entry level device were $499 (£320).

Sinking ship?

The new reduced prices for the PlayBook start at £169 for the 16GB device, to £329 for the 64GB tablet. The same prices are offered at Carphone Warehouse, as well as at PC World, and also Currys.

This is not the first price drop for the tablet. In September, US PlayBook prices were reduced followed by a UK price drop in October, where PlayBook prices were cut by £150 across all models, with the 16GB device falling from £400 to £250.

This new price drop raises concerns about the future of the device, which has failed to perform in the market and resulted in RIM taking a financial hit from the PlayBook.

The device is due for a major software update in February, but with current speculation over the future of RIM’s leadership and the company as whole, this price cut hints at stormy weather ahead.