RIM lowers PlayBook Q2 projections amid slow sales

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has lowered the sales targets for its PlayBook tablet for the second quarter, following slow sales after its launch, reports Taiwanese news site Digitimes.

Instead of shipping 2.4 million PlayBooks in the second quarter, RIM now expects to ship between 800,000 and 900,000 units, supply chain sources tell the news site. RIM had also initially expected to ship the same 2.4 million PlayBooks in its launch quarter, but the company revealed last week that it only managed to ship 500,000 units.

The 7-inch PlayBook tablet retails for $499 but requires a BlackBerry device for much of its functionality (i.e., e-mail, contacts and calendar syncing). RIM could potentially stoke sales by offering models with 3G, LTE 4G and WiMax 4G support later this year, Digitimes notes.

Additionally, while RIM’s actual PlayBook shipments were lower than it hoped, it’s still one of the leading non-iPad devices. The competing Motorola Xoom tablet averages monthly shipments between 100,000 and 200,000 units, Digitimes says. Apple is expected to maintain its tablet lead with 8 to 10 million iPads shipped this quarter.

We’ve contacted RIM for comment and will update when we hear back.

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