How to Pair a BlackBerry PlayBook with a BlackBerry Smartphone
The BlackBerry PlayBook, announced in September 2010 and revealed to the consumer electronics industry at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, is a tablet computer from Research In Motion, the company behind the BlackBerry line of consumer and enterprise smartphones. The PlayBook was scheduled for release to the public in February 2011. Like most modern tablets, the PlayBook is portable, keyboardless, equipped with video cameras, wirelessly connectible to the Internet and customizable with downloadable apps. A standout feature of the PlayBook is its ability to synchronize or "pair" with a BlackBerry smartphone.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- BlackBerry PlayBook
- BlackBerry smartphone with BlackBerry Device Software 5 or higher and BlackBerry Bridge app
- BlackBerry smartphone wireless data plan
Instructions
-
-
1
Turn on both the BlackBerry PlayBook and the BlackBerry smartphone.
-
2
Select the "gear" icon in the upper-right of the PlayBook screen. This brings up a PlayBook options menu.
-
-
3
Select the option to show the PlayBook identification bar code. The bar code appears on the PlayBook.
-
4
Scan the PlayBook bar code with the BlackBerry smartphone. The two devices are paired.
-
5
Open and use BlackBerry smartphone email, calendar, contacts, to-do list and and messenger apps from either the PlayBook or the smartphone. Actions performed on either device will be mirrored on the other.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
When pairing a BlackBerry PlayBook with a BlackBerry smartphone, the PlayBook has complete control over the five apps mentioned in Step 5. When the pairing is severed, however, no smartphone data is stored on the PlayBook. Consumer PlayBook users may find this inconvenient, but companies issuing BlackBerry PlayBooks to employees can rest assured all smartphone-originating data is kept private.
References
- TheStreet: RIM Launches PlayBook Tablet
- 2011 CES: Exhibitor Directory: BlackBerry by Research In Motion
- CrackBerry.com: BlackBerry PlayBook Review
- BlackBerry: BlackBerry PlayBook Specifications
- IntoMobile: The BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet's One Glaring Flaw: Bridge
- Engadget: BlackBerry Bridge for PlayBook Tablet Preview
Resources
- Photo Credit blackberry image by Andrzej Włodarczyk from Fotolia.com
