TORONTO – Some U.K. mobile phone retailers have slashed the price of the BlackBerry Z10 just one month after its release, sparking worries that the new smartphone isn’t selling as well as BlackBerry had hoped.
According to a report by the Telegraph, Carphone Warehouse and Vodaphone have both cut the cost of the phone on contracts. Vodaphone introduced a web-only deal for £33 ($51 Canadian) per month, cutting £72 ($112 Canadian) over the life of the contract.
“Although probably instigated by operators rather than BlackBerry itself, they position the Z10 as a mid-level device rather than a competitor to the iPhone and Galaxy SIII, which target the top end where profit margins are biggest,” read the report, citing analyst at Pacific Crest James Faucette.
In the first weeks of the BlackBerry Z10’s release, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins said that the company saw close to three times their best performance ever for the first week of sales for a BlackBerry smartphone in the U.K.
The Canadian launch marked the best day ever for the launch of a BlackBerry smartphone. Canadian phone retailers say they are continuing to have strong sales of the Z10.
A Bell spokesperson told Global News Monday the company is seeing growing demand for the BlackBerry Z10. Similarly, a TELUS spokesperson noted that customer response to the phone has been positive.
“We’re excited about the potential the new Blackberry 10 platform brings to the marketplace. Since we launched BlackBerry Z10 we have seen a very positive response from customers. We are optimistic it will have a good impact,” said TELUS spokesperson Elisabeth Napolano.
Wireless service provider Rogers also experienced record volume in BlackBerry Z10 sales during the launch of the phone in early February.
A Rogers’ spokesperson said Monday that the Z10 continues to be a strong seller.
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