BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 update confirmed for February 2012

Remember today’s earlier reports about the BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 update not arriving until next year? Well, it looks like those rumors were on the spot because RIM has come forward with a statement confirming its release date. The Blackberry PlayBook OS 2.0 update will be released to customers in February 2012. To add to the bad news, the BlackBerry Messenger app won’t be making it to the update, corroborating with reports about RIM having trouble bringing BBM to the PlayBook. However, use of BBM through BlackBerry Bridge is still available.

However, RIM does have some good news for developer: they are now pushing out the gold release of the native SDK as well as the beta of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, so developers will have access to the new PlayBook OS before anybody else. RIM hopes that with these tools, developers will continue to churn out new apps for the tablet. RIM also announced that it will be starting a series of closed betas of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 with select enterprise customers who are in the Early Adopter Program sometime this year.

Not the best of news considering that sales of the PlayBook haven’t been flourishing for RIM, but here’s to hoping that things pick up for the company.

George Wong
Categories: Tablets
Tags: BlackBerry, blackberry playbook, playbook, qnx, RIM