Canadian firm Research In Motion (RIM) has slashed the price of its ‘PlayBook’ by more than half to Rs 13,490 for the 16 GB version to cash in on the festive season and burgeoning demand for tablet PCs in India.

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

“The 16 GB version of the PlayBook is available at Rs 13,490 in the festive offer, a more than 50 per cent discount from the regular price of Rs 27,990 under a limited festive season offer until December 31,” a RIM spokesperson said.

A tablet PC, though smaller in size, has PC-like functionalities.

The prices for 32 GB and 64 GB versions have also been reduced.

The 32 GB version will be available at Rs 15,990, while the 64 GB model will be priced at Rs 24,490 under the limited period offer, the spokesperson added.

The devices are currently available at Rs 32,990 (32GB) and Rs 37,990 (64GB).

The Canadian firm had launched the PlayBook in India, along with other markets like the UK, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia and the UAE.

The seven-inch tablet, PlayBook, runs on a new operating system built by QNX Software Systems - a RIM unit that makes software used to run everything from cars to nuclear reactors.

On a PlayBook, users can go online only using a Wi-Fi network or by synchronising the device to their BlackBerry smartphones.

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.

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