But despite the global launch is happening in the United States, America is the last of the first set of countries to see the Z10, the first BlackBerry phone to send with its new operating system, BB10. Americans must wait until March to buy the phone, but it was available for purchase in the UK yesterday. It is six days before the BlackBerry market in Canada. On the face of it, this seems like a strange decision - why release the Z10 in a relatively small country first?
The compelling reason, according to Francisco Jeronimo, Research Manager European Mobile Devices at IDC, is that the United Kingdom is the largest market in the BlackBerry world. Compare his figures: in the third quarter of 2012, BlackBerry had a market share of 12% in the UK, with Apple at 25%. United States, BlackBerry accounted for only 2% to 25% of Apple.
Speaking at the launch in the UK at CNET Luke Westaway, Andrew Bocking BlackBerry echoes this point: "The UK is a key market for us for so long, we have more than 8 million BlackBerry users today in the UK and we are very happy for them. be at the forefront of access go to BB10 on the Z10. "
Some of the biggest buyers of BlackBerry phones in Britain are adolescents, in part because the phones are very cheap, in part because of the appeal of BBM, free instant messenger program. BBM has become so popular in Britain that the riots in London in 2011 were blamed on the service of some politicians and members of the police, although its role has probably been exaggerated.
Jeronimo argues that it is not just teenagers with BlackBerry phones: "Most companies have their corporate e-mail servers running on BlackBerry To change the infrastructure of the mobile phone is not cheap or something that can be done overnight ... when we ask if companies want to move. another platform, it is very clear that the majority do not. "Leaving the size of the UK market side, market observers have some other ideas on why Britain is the first with Z10. Ian Fogg, an analyst at IHS made the point to me that a successful launch in the UK might have more overall impact of a U.S. launch, as the owners of British carriers are present in other countries while U.S. carriers are more autonomous.
Several analysts have argued to me that they were impressed by the speed of its BlackBerry phones delivered. Jeronimo said: "I can not remember the last time a major manufacturer has launched a flagship device and made available in stores after BlackBerry probably has not received the same support in the United States and decided to start over later. ".
Now that the Z10 is the shipping, which is BlackBerry game plan from here? During Ben Wood, research director at CCS Insight:
"His first concern will be the owners of longtime BlackBerry oldest who initially had a BlackBerry for business and have continued to endure in recent years. We must also convince BlackBerry users ancient, [although] many of these guys will be locked into a contract so it could be awhile before they can even consider going back to BlackBerry. "
"The last group must nails are teens and 20-somethings who are still hanging on a BlackBerry because of BBM and Facebook. This group is unlikely to be able to pay the Z10 or Q10, so the next step in the UK market will get cheaper products available. "
