BlackBerry Z10 UK sales reportedly off to a strong start

BlackBerry 10-based Z10 and Q10
smartphones are crucial steps as the
fledging handset-maker attempts a
comeback in the smartphone arena.
Company unveiled the handsets with
much fanfare last week, with the full-
touch based Z10 going on sale in UK on
January 31. The early signs coming out of
the country spell good news for the
Canadian company.
According to a report in AllThingsD, the
white colour BlackBerry Z10 is practically
sold-out all across the country, with the
black version slightly easier to get hold of.
AllThingsD quotes Jefferies analyst Peter
Misek, who said, "We believe Carphone
Warehouse is seeing widespread sell-
outs, while O2, Vodafone, Orange and EE
are seeing robust demand. We estimate
sell-in to be at least several hundred
thousand units."
While UK is not a large market by any
stretch of the imagination, an encouraging
start in the country is good news
nonetheless. The report also states that
pre-orders for the new BlackBerry in a
UAE and company's home market of
Canada have been "solid".
As reported earlier, the device is
expected to debut in Canada and China
on February 5. Middle-east, another
market that is not afraid to spend big
bucks on smartphones, is expected to
receive the new phone starting February
10. United States, perhaps the most
crucial of the developed markets, will get
the new BlackBerry Z10 around mid-
March, with the BlackBerry Q10 shipping
sometime in April.
With the official US launch a while way,
scalpers have been having a field day,
with the BlackBerry Z10 listing on eBay
for an incredible $1500.
BlackBerry's attempt to make a comeback
will depend on the high-end devices like
the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10,
and additionally on other devices targeted
at emerging markets as well. The fate of
the comeback will be a cumulative
reflection of how it fares in the US and
the middle-east as well as markets like
India and Indonesia.