[W Hoa]

It seems to have started. The following is from the Chicago Tribune

BlackBerry 10 off to record start

BlackBerry 10 off to record start
Orders for smartphone, sales in Britain soar

BlackBerry's Z10 smartphone has attracted record orders at Canadian wireless carrier BCE, and analysts say sales are off to a strong start in Britain, sparking a 15 percent surge in BlackBerry's shares Monday.

BCE, Canada's No. 2 carrier, said early orders for the Z10 have topped any previous BlackBerry model, while one Carphone Warehouse outlet in Britain, where the phone has been on sale since Thursday, sold out of the model in less than half an hour, local staff said.

BlackBerry is counting on a robust start before the Z10 goes on sale in the United States in March to help reverse six quarters of declining sales and years of market-share losses to rivals led by iPhone maker Apple Inc.

For the rest BlackBerry 10 off to record start - chicagotribune.com

[West Coast Flavor]

I think it's a publicity stunt, just like the Nexus 4.

[GTiLeo]

I think it's a publicity stunt, just like the Nexus 4.

no way the Z10 has high demand, for god sakes BlackBerry is dead how would this ever be possible.

silly ammerican bears BlackBerry is not dead its only but the start its its prosperous life "thats it Sheldon, embrace the dark side" - Will Weaton in the big bang theory

[Bold_until_Hybrid_Comes]

uh oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


WATCH THE THRONE

[panterarck]

There is actually a lot of buzz for the Z10 and Q10 in Chicago. I hear people talking about it on the bus and train, in stores when they are looking at tech magazines, even heard a few Apple peeps talking about BB10 at the corner coffee shop. Momentum is building. The excitement is here. If these damn carriers got their asses in gear the US could really have some strong sales. I worry that the long wait may disappoint people and the buzz will eventually fade. HURRY UP US CARRIERS!!!!!

[docgasberry]

no way the Z10 has high demand, for god sakes BlackBerry is dead how would this ever be possible.

silly ammerican bears BlackBerry is not dead its only but the start its its prosperous life "thats it Sheldon, embrace the dark side" - Will Weaton in the big bang theory

Wow ......if BB is dead, hope you are not one of those caught or going to be caught in a short squeeze ......

[pooger]

Wow ......if BB is dead, hope you are not one of those caught or going to be caught in a short squeeze ......

He was being sarcastic.

[Saiga]

I think it's a publicity stunt, just like the Nexus 4.

You really think the Nexus 4 shortage was a publicity stunt? I don't, I think it was a combination of creating one of the best phones ever and then allowing people to purchase it unlocked for only $299-$349 combined with serious incompetence from Google or LG. Perhaps both.

The Nexus 4 is a incredible phone at a unbelievable price, do we really think they needed to give people any more reasons to want one?

[SixStringMadness]

Some solid numbers, as opposed to simply "sold out" would give these stories more meat to chew on...

[jc]

He was being sarcastic.

I think he was too!!

[Toodeurep]

I had a great trip into Kentucky over the weekend. I went to an AT&T store, a Best-Buy and a Sam's (similar to a Cosco???) All three stores had salespersons telling me that as a BB fan I should keep an eye out for some new BBs coming. Some went into more detail than others and the AT&T guy was really excited. Time will tell...

[tiziano27]

I think the sales are good, but not "massive". Look at this:

Mobile Tracker - the UK's most popular mobile phones this week - uSwitch.com
Deal finder - The Carphone Warehouse

The Lumia 620 was launched days ago in the UK and made it to the uswitch list, z10 is not there.
If the sales would be "hundred of thousands" the z10 should be top 1 in Carphone Warehouse, but it's behind the iPhone and the S3.
Sold out doesn't mean anything. Lumia 920 was sold out everywhere for weeks and the volume was insignificant at the end of the quarter.
Be careful with anecdotal information and press manipulation, the same has happened with other products and the bubble explode when companies report unit shipped in the financial statement.
BlackBerry will report in March for the quarter ending in February 28.

[jrohland]

More than a little whistling past the graveyard in this tread.

[Buju Banton]

BlackBerry Z10 sales: UK sell-outs may be less impressive than thought | BGR

[nikgilbe]

The Z10 hasn't even been available for a week yet so I'd be surprised to see it in that list.

Purely anecdotal but when I went into EE to get mine, in the half hour I was there 6 other people came in wanting one.

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

[BoldTeddy]

Don't panic. That uswitch data is not up to date. Remember the UK didn't have presales because of the surprise announcement last week.
The Z10 will definitely be in the top 2 or 3 this month, probably number 1.

I think phone sales are generally down at the moment. Most people already have a decent enough phone, but no money. This is a problem for BlackBerry. It will take a while for BB10 to really catch on, but catch on it will.

[tiziano27]

I hope you're right, but from the stats I think reality is more in line with this article:

Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette writes in a research note that the company appears to be following a strategy of “deliberate scarcity” in order to create rapid stock outs. “We have canvassed retailers across the United Kingdom for five days to develop a complete picture of the response to the BlackBerry launch,” he writes. “Our conclusion is that BlackBerry seems to be following a strategy of deliberate scarcity for the Z10, similar to what other manufacturers have done in recent high-profile launches.”

BlackBerry: Bears Say Early Optimism On Z10 Unfounded - Forbes

[DatMisterB]

Thing is, you have articles that are contradicting each other so its like wtfz0rz.

[world traveler and former ceo]

anyone I know who has a bb Z10 is absolutely thrilled with it! ... consumers are speaking ...

[snuci]

The Z10 hasn't even been available for a week yet so I'd be surprised to see it in that list.

Oddly enough, the BGR report shows that the Z10 is number 4 on the uSwitch list. Some people must see a newer list than the one that is public. Quoted:

Sue continued, “Sell-through of the BlackBerry Z10 in the UK is exceeding RIM’s expectations, with some stores sold out as well. The Z10 now ranks #4 on uSwitch UK’s website ahead of the Nexus 4 and Lumia 920 (#1 remains iPhone 5). BlackBerry will launch the Z10 in other parts of Western Europe this week. Bear in mind however, BlackBerry’s presence in those countries combined is less than its sub base in the UK.”

[unbreakablej]

I think people are getting sick of the major 2 players too. Not to mention you do have those who will always go for the latest no matter what brand it is. So the demand arent just from long term bb fans.
Also, I think shortage is due not to manipulatjon on bb's part but pessimism of the carriers. From BB's pov (imo), it would have made more sense to increase unit sales for a good report before US release.
But I also agree the numbers are probably not as impressive as it could have been had there been enough stock.

[EchoTango]

I think everyone has the settle down and take deep breath. It's very early days and it's not like BBerry is a current winner in this marketplace. It's going to take some time for the early adopters to start the peer to peer (hopefully positive) chatter that ultimately drives most consumer buying. To put things into perspective, it would be a huge win for BBerry to capture a 10% marketshare (from 5%) but will still only be a solid third, behind Sammy and the Fruit Machine.

We must remember, this will not be a sprint, but a marathon and will probably end with BBerry capturing 33% market share at best.

[needforbbx]

Actually, if you look at uswitch - the z10 is among the top 4: (1) iphone 5, (2) galaxy s3, (3) iphone 4s, (4) BBZ10 : Mobile Phone Deals - Compare Deals & Offers From �10 - uSwitch.com

[lnichols]

I'd really like to see some numbers of what a sell-out means in units sold, and how much inventory RIM has to fill any backorders that are now happening. Any manufacturer can create a "sell-out" by providing less product than there is demand for, and while it may sound sexy as a headline, RIM can't afford for someone to go into a store looking for Z10 and having that store that is out of Z10's try to convince those customers to go to a phone that they do have in stock. RIM should come out at the end of next weekend with some numbers in a press announcement saying how many devices they sold in both markets to that point, or how many units they have shipped to those markets at that point.

[andrew1953]

Hurry up Australian Carriers.get the Q10.

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