Has BlackBerry revealed PlayBook's pricing?

It's always best to leave things until last. BlackBerry’s forthcoming tablet, the PlayBook, is looking mighty impressive.

According to Mobility Insider, which was one of the first to get hands-on time with the device, the PlayBook will start at $399/£250 for an 8GB device. That’s around £100 cheaper than the Apple equivalent.

In addition to the entry-level 8GB unit, there’ll be a 16GB version for $499/£320 and a 32GB model for $599/£380. All three will be Wi-Fi-only devices, with BlackBerry said to be introducing a device with wireless carrier connectivity some time in 2012. Presumably a good proportion of PlayBook owners will already own BlackBerry phones, so tethering should be an option when you’re away from a hotspot.

The BlackBerry PlayBook  is set to go on sale in the US by the end of Q1 2011, and will launch in other markets shortly after. It looks to have the technical bragging rights over both the iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab thanks to a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. It’ll also feature front and back cameras, an HDMI output and the brand-new QNX operating system.