@ CES: BlackBerry PlayBook coming to Sprint 4G this summer

LAS VEGAS — Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) and Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) have teamed up to launch the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook sometime this summer.
Sprint now has the distinction as the first carrier to launch the new tablet with wireless connectivity unless, of course, another carrier comes on board before then.
Sprint’s version of the device will have the same specifications that RIM announced last year, but it will also carry connectivity for Sprint’s WiMAX network.
Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO at RIM, and Sprint CEO Dan Hesse shared a stage last night to show off the device and give press and analysts some hands on time with demo units.
“The industry is about to hit another elbow in our growth curve,” Hesse said. The expansion of wireless services into almost every device, including tablets, will be driving the next phase of growth for mobility, he added.
“RIM believes a significant portion of the tablet market will want a higher performing, multitasking, professional-grade tablet and that is why we chose to design the BlackBerry PlayBook for premium performance with a powerful dual-core processor and multitasking OS. Together with Sprint, we are now building on that performance advantage with 4G and providing an unparalleled mobile experience for users,” Lazaridis said.