Sales of the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone reportedly have been dismal, with retailers reporting little demand for the keyboard-equipped member of BlackBerry’s new products.
The Wall Street Journal reported that BlackBerry Ltd. (Nasdaq: BBRY) has not talked about the phone’s performance publicly, but that the lack of sales are casting a shadow over BlackBerry’s efforts to gain market share against Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) in the smartphone market.
It also shows that there is some urgency to BlackBerry’s decision to explore strategic alternatives for its business, including a possible sale of the company, the Journal said.
The Journal interviewed one operator of 16 Wireless Zone stores in the Midwest that sells Verizon Wireless products. He said customers didn’t show up looking for the Q10 as expected and that, “the handful that sold were returned.”
Sprint will introduce the Q10 to its lineup on Friday, as wireless carriers continue to carry BlackBerry’s products.
In another sign of BlackBerry’s precarious position, it was reported earlier this week that the company is considering spinning off its BlackBerry Messenger business into a more independent subsidiary.
BlackBerry’s U.S. headquarters is in Irving.
via BlackBerry Q10 reportedly fails to dial up expected sales – Dallas Business Journal.