We've had the rare privilege in the UK of seeing the North America-made BlackBerry Z10 go on sale here before it makes its debut in the US, and early indications are that it's been shifting at a decent rate.
Analyst Peter Misek says feedback from retailers suggests “widespread sell-outs”, while networks are also reporting a brisk trade in the BlackBerry 10 handset.
Misek – of analyst firm Jefferies – said in a research note on the weekend that a number of Phones4U branches had sold out completely of the white BlackBerry Z10 (it being a Phones4U exclusive for now), while demand for the black version is also strong.
“We believe Carphone Warehouse is seeing widespread sell-outs while O2, Vodafone, Orange and EE are seeing robust demand,” he writes. “We estimate sell-in to be at least several hundred thousand units.”
Whether that includes pre-orders of the white Z10 from non-Phones4U sources remains to be seen, but either way it's fairly impressive going for BlackBerry, and hints that the strategy of holding back on the official BlackBerry 10 launch until the Z10 was ready to go on sale has proved successful.
Misek also reports “a solid start” to pre-orders in Canada and the UAE, where like the US the BlackBerry Z10 goes on sale next month. He suggests that with the US smartphone market being about five times bigger than the UK's, continued strong sales this side of the Atlantic “could bode very well for BlackBerry”.
Anyone out there have any tales from the front lines, as it were, on their attempts (hopefully successful) to get their hands on a BlackBerry Z10? Feel free to share in the Comments below!
Via Forbes
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