BlackBerry’s New Z10 Phone is Off to a Good Start

The BlackBerry Z10 went on sale in Canada on Tuesday and sales are up more than 50% from previous BlackBerry phone launches.

 

BANGKOK – The long-awaited BlackBerry Z10 won’t be available in the Thailand until March, but it’s already out in other countries and sales are hot, according to the maker.

BlackBerry’s Z10 touch-screen smartphone has gotten off to a better start in Britain than any of its previous models, the company said.

To be precise, the Z10 is “selling almost three times better” than previous BlackBerry models have in their first week, according to a Bloomberg report that cites BlackBerry Chief Executive Thorsten Heins as the source.

The Z10 is also doing well in BlackBerry’s homeland of Canada, with sales up more than 50% from previous BlackBerry phone launches, Heins said.

That’s great news for BlackBerry, which is relying on the Z10 and its new Blackberry 10 operating system to remain relevant in the smartphone market.

But the Z10’s big test will come next month when the Z10 makes its debut in the U.S. It will be carried by AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile.

None of the companies have given release dates for the phone, but Verizon has said the phone will be available for $200 with a new contract.