RIM denies PlayBook tablet battery issues, promises "superior performance"

On Tuesday, analyst Shaw Wu of Kaufman Bros. sent a note to investors voicing concerns over the unreleased 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook tablet's battery life after checks with "industry and supply chain sources." In the note, Wu suggested that he had "heard" that the PlayBook's battery life was just "a few hours" and would require a "a bit of re-engineering."

The PlayBook is slated for a first quarter 2011 release, though RIM has not projected any revenue from the PlayBook tablet for its next fiscal quarter, which ends next fiscal quarterFeb. 26 with a price tag below $500.

RIM released its statement denying Wu's claims late Wednesday, Forbes reports.

“Any testing or observation of battery life to date by anyone outside of RIM would have been performed using pre-beta units that were built without power management implemented," the statement read. "RIM is on track with its schedule to optimize the BlackBerry PlayBook’s battery life and looks forward to providing customers with a professional grade tablet that offers superior performance with comparable battery life.”

RIM's statement fails to specify what exactly the PlayBook will be comparable with, but Wu's note compared the tablet to the Samsung Galaxy Tab's 6 hours of battery life and the Apple iPad's 10 hours of battery.

That RIM continues to assert that the PlayBook's performance will be "superior" should come as no surprise, as RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie recently touted the PlayBook as "way ahead" of the iPad.

"I think the PlayBook redefines what a tablet should do," said Balsillie, asserting that the tablet's redefinition involves the web, not apps.