RIM's PlayBook tablet pulled from US online stores

08.10.2012
Models of Research in Motion's PlayBook tablet have been pulled from online stores of some top retailers in the U.S. and Canada, a move one analyst said could be a sign that the company is readying a successor tablet.

The PlayBook tablet is no longer listed on the online stores of U.S. consumer electronics retailers including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, RadioShack and Staples. The products are listed as being out of stock in Office Depot's .

In the BlackBerry maker's home country of Canada, only the 32GB model is available on the websites of retailers and , at a discounted rate of C$149.99 (US$153). The 16GB and 64GB PlayBook models are out of stock.

However, the tablets remain available on .

RIM did not respond to requests for comment.

The first PlayBook shipped in April 19, starting at $500 for a 16GB model, but has sold poorly since. PlayBook sales dropped to about 130,000 in RIM's most recent fiscal quarter, which ended on Sept. 1.