UK mobile retailers have dispelled claims from BlackBerry boss Thorsten Heins that the BlackBerry Z10 white model is completely out of stock.
The first BlackBerry 10 handset to hit retailers, the BlackBerry Z10 has seen an exceptional first sales week, with critics suggesting the BlackBerry 10 OS launch would be make or break for BlackBerry’s future. However, the first week sales, despite being high, are not quite what BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins claimed in an interview with the US Associated Press earlier this week.
“White is sold out already. The black is hard to stock up again. It’s very encouraging,” said the BlackBerry boss.
Dispelling claims of a BlackBerry Z10 white sellout, mobile retailer Phones 4u has confirmed that whilst over 55 per cent of their 680 stores sold out of the BlackBerry Z10 over the launch weekend, the lighter hued handset is, unlike Heins’ comments suggested, still available at a number of outlets.
After contacting London-based Phones 4u outlets, currently the exclusive supplier for the white BlackBerry Z10, we were informed that we could quite easily pick up the apparently hard to get handset.
“We’ve got BlackBerry Z10 stock in both colours – black and white on contract tariffs,” said an Oxford Street branch employee. When asked if they had a large quantity of stock, the reply came “Yes, we have plenty. There’s no need to hurry.”
A Regent Street branch worker added: “We’ve only got the white BlackBerry Z10.”
Heins comments seem to be an overestimation of the demand for the new BlackBerry 10 OS handset, with several analysts claiming Heins is attempting to boost the hype surrounding the new device.
“As Phones 4u is currently the only place people can get their hands on the BlackBerry Z10 in white, it has been a huge success and continues to sell extremely well,” commented Scott Hooton, Chief Commercial Officer at Phones 4u. “A large number of our stores DID sell out of the white model on launch weekend, but because we knew demand was so high and we didn’t want anyone to miss out on getting one, we replenished stock within hours.”
The second BlackBerry 10 OS handset, the BlackBerry Q10 with full QWERTY keyboard is due to be released in April, much to the delight of loyal BlackBerry physical keyboard fans.
Have you got your hands on the BlackBerry Z10? What do you think of the new BlackBerry 10 OS? Give us your thoughts on the TrustedReviews Facebook and Twitter pages or use the comments section below.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
