BlackBerry PlayBook Wi-Fi Reaches End of Life, Unless It Doesn’t

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I liked the PlayBook back at MWC 2011 when I first touched it, and since then we have already reviewed it for you. But the fact of the matter remains it’s not the iPad 2-killer RIM hoped to produce and today we heard a rumor suggesting that RIM is ready to cancel the Wi-Fi version of the PlayBook due to poor sales performance.

The rumor came from RBC Capital Markets Managing Director Mike Abramasky as his report said that RIM could decide to cancel the Wi-Fi PlayBook in the near future. We will note that, at this time, RIM is only selling a Wi-Fi version of the PlayBook, and there’s no telling when a 3G/4G model will be launched. Therefore, according to this report, RIM may be thinking about canceling its sole tablet model for the time being.

Before you voice your agreement or disagreement with such a move we’ll tell you that RIM has already denied such action. RIM wrote a short tweet in reply to BGR, to tell them that Abramasky’s report was fake:

@BGR Pure fiction. No plan to discontinue. In fact, WiFi PlayBook is launching in new countries practically every week.

Sure it’s not a press release, but considering it’s coming from RIM’s official Twitter account, I’d say it’s as official as it gets. The Canadian company is going through some rough times, as its mobile products aren’t able to compete against the iPhone or the plethora of Android handsets out there that convince more and more people to choose either one of these two rival mobile platforms. Canceling the PlayBook wouldn’t be such a good idea as it would send the wrong message to potential customers and investors. And RIM doesn’t need more turmoil right now, but some peace and quiet to get its act back together and get back in the mobile game. In case that won’t happen soon then I have just two words to describe what awaits them: see Palm!