RIM announced the anticipated 4G (LTE) version of its PlayBook tablet, which is set for launch in its home market of Canada next week.

The device is largely the same as the existing Wi-Fi only version, although it gains a 1.5GHz dual-core processor in place of the 1GHz chip in its predecessor. It will also only be available with 32GB of storage, whereas the WiFi version is also available in 16GB and 64GB forms.

As with the 4G version of Apple’s iPad, the LTE PlayBook does not support some of the more popular bands used globally. In its current form, it includes 700MHz and 1700MHz LTE, alongside pentaband HSPA+.

The company said that “additional variants of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet supporting various high-speed cellular networks are expected to be available in the coming months form carriers in the US, Europe, South Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean”.

The device will be available from Canadian operators Bell, Rogers and Telus.