BlackBerry says Z10 smartphone’s sales strong in Britain, Canada

The new BlackBerry Z10 won’t come to the U.S. until March, but it’s already out in other countries and sales are hot, according to the maker.

BlackBerry’s new Z10 touch screen smartphone has gotten off to a better start in Britain than any of the company’s previous models, it said.

To be precise, the Z10 is “selling almost three times better” than previous BlackBerry models have in their first week, according to a Bloomberg report that cites company Chief Executive Thorsten Heins as the source.

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The Z10 is also doing well in BlackBerry’s homeland of Canada. There, Heins said sales are up more than 50% from previous BlackBerry phone launches.

That’s great news for BlackBerry, which is relying on the Z10 and its new Blackberry 10 operating system to remain relevant in the smartphone market.

However, the Z10’s big test will come next month when it makes its debut in the U.S. The Z10 will be carried by AT&T;, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile.

None of the companies have given release dates for the phone, but Verizon has said the phone will be available for $200 with the purchase of new contract.

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