We heard a while back that RIM was aiming at undercutting the iPad by putting the upcoming Playbook at less than $500. If this pricing leak is true, it looks like they decided price parity was acceptable. The version shown is the 16GB wi-fi only version, meaning it would likely have price tiering similar to the iPad’s, starting at $500 and working upwards at ~$100 increments.
I’m skeptical of the average consumer’s ability to pay the same price for something smaller and less familiar than “Brand X” (in this case the iPad), but the Playbook certainly has Brand X beaten on specs and built-in capabilities. It of course lacks apps, but as we’ve seen in various videos of it, it’s compelling and useful in many other ways. Hopefully having a heavy presence in the retail space will show that off.
The price is, of course, unconfirmed for now, and this could just be an placeholder estimate by an Office Depot manager.
[via SlashGear]