RIM slashes tablet PC price by 18%

Canadian firm Research In Motion (RIM) has slashed the price of its 64-GB version of tablet PC PlayBook by around 18% to Rs 19,990.

In December last year, RIM had slashed the price of its PlayBook by more than half to Rs 24,490 for the 64GB version under an offer from the original price Rs 37,990.

"We have seen positive momentum with the promotional pricing levels and have decided to maintain an aggressive pricing strategy in order to help continue the momentum," Research In Motion India Director Marketing Krishnadeep Baruah said.

A report released by Cybermedia Research indicates 21% market share for BlackBerry PlayBook in India, he added.

"The pricing combined with features in the new operating system (PlayBook OS 2.0) and locally relevant applications make the PlayBook extremely competitive," he said.

However, the price of the 16GB version has been raised marginally to Rs 13,990 from Rs 13,490 (available under the offer). The device was originally launched at Rs 27,990.

According to analysts, sales in the tablet PC segment in India are expected to touch one million units over the next 12 months.

With 3G (high-speed internet services) being rolled out aggressively, the opportunity has only expanded, they said.

Since the launch of Apple’s iPad in the country, the tablet market has been witnessing huge competition, with more and more new contenders launching their devices.

RIM, known for its BlackBerry series of phones, had introduced PlayBook in June last year in the Indian market.

Recently, the company had announced the launch of PlayBook OS 2.0 with additional functionalities, like ability to run Android-based applications, advanced messaging features, increased social integration and better browser, among others.