BlackBerry Shares Fall After US Z10 Launch

BlackBerry shares have fallen after several analysts reported that the US launch of the BlackBerry Z10 last Friday was disappointing.

Goldman Sachs has changed its rating from ‘buy’ to ‘neutral’ with others claiming that the release has been hindered by a lack of marketing support from BlackBerry.

The BlackBerry Z10 has been available in a number of countries, including the UK and Canada, for more than a month, but the US launch has been delayed due to longer carrier testing processes.

BlackBerry Z10 launch

The news comes just days before BlackBerry is due to release results that will provide the first indication of just how well the smartphone has performed since it was unveiled earlier this year.

BlackBerry has claimed that sales in its native Canada and the UK have been solid, with the first glimpse of sales figures likely to be released on Thursday. The company will hope that its share price will recover if sales are good.

CEO Thorsten Heins appears confident, claiming that the success of the BlackBerry Z10 has changed the tone of the strategic view underway at the company. He said that launch day in Canada was the best ever for a BlackBerry smartphone, while it was close to three times the best ever first week in the UK.

Smartphones running BlackBerry 10 are seen as vital to the future of the recently renamed-BlackBerry, which has seen its share of the smartphone market slide in recent years as a result of increased competition from the likes of Apple and Samsung.

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