Struggling Canadian smartphone and tablet outfit RIM has announced a 4G LTE enabled version of its PlayBook tablet. The device will go on from 9 August initially in Canada, and will work on the LTE networks of all three local operators, Telus, Bell and Rogers.

Sunil Mittal, chairman and MD of Bharti Airtel said that India and Africa need a $50 tablet in order to spur adoption of mobile technologies. Speaking at a conference session at MWC, Mittal called on the industry to focus on bringing the cost of smartphones and tablets down to those of feature phones.

Google has announced the availability of a beta version of its Chrome web browser for its Android platform. The browser is available on handsets and tablets running the 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS, and is downloadable via Android Market in select countries and languages.

Chinese telecoms solutions provider has unveiled two new devices in an attempt to gain a stronger foothold in the smartphone and tablet markets. The firm also announced that it will open a dedicated European design centre for its mobile device business in London in Q1 2012.

Software and PC giant HP has unexpectedly killed off its poorly performing webOS mobile devices and announced its exit from the hardware space altogether. Instead the firm will focus on software and services with an eye on cloud computing through the $10bn acquisition of Autonomy.

Video and entertainment firm Technicolor has launched a Home Control and Security edition of its MediaTouch tablet, developed in partnership with US firm iControl Networks, a specialist in broadband home management solutions.

Research In Motion (RIM) began its foray into the tablet market late Tuesday, as the BlackBerry Playbook hit shelves in North America. The tablet met with mixed reviews, initially targeted at the large and small enterprise space (much like the original BlackBerry), yet at present lacking full email, calendar and contacts functionality. RIM said a software update is due in a few weeks.