New BlackBerry PlayBook 4G with LTE and HSPA+ arrives July 31

Various dates have been rumored for a 3G-capable refresh of the BlackBerry PlayBook, which RIM first talked about at Mobile World Congress 2011. A leaked roadmap that surfaced in January suggested that its launch had been delayed at least in part by a switch to HSPA+. Earlier this month, a second roadmap appeared — indicating a Q4 2012 launch for the 4G PlayBook. Now it’s finally popped up in a carrier’s database, and the updated
PlayBook is due to arrive on July 31st.
That’s according to Bell, whose leaked information also reveals some interesting hardware insights. Originally thought to be launching with HSPA+, the new PlayBook will actually have LTE in tow as well. The predicted processor bump was right on the money: the original dual-core 1GHz chip has been replaced by a 1.5GHz unit — possibly the TI OMAP 4470, assuming RIM is sticking with Texas Instruments.
The 4G PlayBook’s display remains unchanged at 1024 x 600 pixels, and the front and rear cameras sport the same 3 and 5 megapixel resolution, too. Only one storage capacity will be offered, at least by Bell: 32GB.

One other component that has been tweaked is the battery. It’s been scaled back from 5300mAh to 4800mAh, but presumably the 2nd-generation hardware will yield comparable battery life to the original when on a Wi-Fi connection. With the LTE or HSPA connection active, of course, it’ll drain more rapidly.
So how much is the 4G PlayBook going to sell for? Bell’s system lists the MSRP at $549.95. That’s $100 less than their contract-free price for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.5, and it seems competitive enough for a 4G tablet. And since the PlayBook is slated to receive the upgrade to BlackBerry 10 OS, diehard RIM fans won’t be as hesitant to pull the trigger on a 4G PlayBook as they might on any of the company’s phones launched ahead of the new software