Since launching a few weeks ago, one missing feature of the PlayBook that has been speculated about is the email and calendar function; it only worked when bridged with a BlackBerry device. Leaving many users without a BlackBerry segregated from using the PlayBook, thus limiting the market largely. This morning during the day 2 keynotes, RIM announced what you see above: native email functionality (they also showed native calendar, but I wasn’t able to get a shot of it). Though rather far from release — an expected end of summer deployment — it shows that RIM is both: on the right track with its PlayBook development and listening to its users’ cries.

Well done RIM, looking forward to see this in motion.