There’s a new tablet coming on April 19 with a familiar pricing matrix: $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB. But this isn’t a new iPad -- it’s Research in Motion’s long-awaited BlackBerry PlayBook, a seven-inch tablet which intends to go toe-to-toe with both Apple and a slew of Android-based slates.

AppleInsider is reporting that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has finally pulled the trigger on Tuesday, announcing a firm release date and pricing for the company’s first tablet entry, the BlackBerry PlayBook. Literally ripped a page from Apple’s playbook (pun intended), RIM is pricing the Wi-Fi only model exactly the same as the iPad: $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB.

The big difference, of course, is that the PlayBook is a seven-inch tablet versus Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad 2. The Wi-Fi only PlayBook will debut in “over 20,000 retail outlets in the U.S. and Canada” on April 19, including Best Buy, AT&T, Office Depot, RadioShack, Staples, Sprint and Verizon.

"The BlackBerry PlayBook is an amazing tablet that is already being widely praised as a multi-tasking powerhouse with an uncompromised web experience and an ultra-portable design," said RIM president & co-CEO, Mike Lazaridis. "Given the high level of customer interest in the BlackBerry PlayBook, we are particularly pleased to be working with such an amazing lineup of retail partners."

Needless to say, RIM will have their work cut out for them in the wake of the iPad 2 juggernaut that precedes it, although the company could stand to benefit from frustrated would-be buyers unable to get their hands on Apple’s tablet as stock remains low across the country.

AppleInsider lists some of the key specs for the PlayBook revealed by RIM on Tuesday:

- 7” 1024x600 WSVGA capacitive LCD touch screen
- Ultra-portable at less than a pound and less than one-half inch thick: 0.9 lbs (425g) and 5.1” x 7.6” x 0.4” (130mm x 194mm x 10mm)
- 1GHz dual-core processor
- BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
- MP3, AAC and WMA audio playback
- Support for high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV)
1080p HDMI output
- Dual 1080p HD cameras for video conferencing and video capture (3MP front and 5MP rear)
- 1GB RAM memory
- Up to 64GB internal storage (16, 32 and 64 GB models)
- GPS, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), 6-Axis Motion Sensor (Gyroscope), Digital Compass (Magnetometer)
- Stereo speakers and stereo microphones
- Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity
- Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support

The only question now is, will there be lines around the block for RIM’s entry into the heated tablet market? We’ll know for sure come April 19.

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