BlackBerry 10 smartphones not headed to Japan anytime soon

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 8 February 2013 09:53 IST
BlackBerry said on Thursday it has no immediate plans to offer its BlackBerry 10 line in Japan; the company's move suggests that it sees little chance of Japan emerging as a major market for its new devices at this time.

The company, which changed its name from Research In Motion following the launch of the line last week, is attempting to win back consumers with its new touch-screen device dubbed the Z10 and a model called the Q10, with a more traditional keyboard.

Its shares surged nearly 6 percent on Thursday, on reports that the Z10 was enjoying strong sales in the markets where it is already available.

The models, powered by its new BlackBerry 10 operating system, are considered the company's best hope of reviving its tarnished image as a smartphone innovator.

Advertisement

The Z10 has already gone on sale in the United Kingdom and Canada, and is expected to go on sale in the United States in mid-March. The Q10 is expected to go on sale globally in April.

Japan's Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday that the company however, plans to stop selling its older smartphones in Japan due to poor sales.

A spokeswoman for BlackBerry said, "Japan is not a major market for BlackBerry, and we have no plans to launch BlackBerry 10 devices there at this time."

Advertisement

The company said it plans to continue to provide support for Blackberry customers in Japan and confirmed that it will have Japanese language support on its new operating system in the future.

BlackBerry's market share in Japan has shrunk to 0.3 percent from 5 percent, according to the Nikkei report.

Advertisement

While BlackBerry has done well in developing markets, it has hemorrhaged customers in developed markets such as Japan and the United States. Its fourth-quarter North American market share fell to 2 percent from more than 40 percent three years ago.

The company hopes that its new devices will help it claw back market share lost in recent years to rivals such as Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics.

Advertisement

BlackBerry shares ended the day up 5.7 percent at $16.96 on the Nasdaq, while its Toronto-listed shares rose 5.8 percent to close at C$16.91.

© Thomson Reuters 2013



BlackBerry 10 Launch: In pictures
 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. iPhone 18 Pro Series Expected to Debut With Dynamic Island, Tipster Claims
  2. Here's How Much the Motorola Signature Could Cost in India
  3. OnePlus Nord 6 Arrives on Geekbench With These Key Specifications
  4. Apple Pay Could Soon Be Available in India With Tap-to-Pay Support: Report
  5. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Discounts on HP, Lenovo, and More Laptops
  6. Top Deals on Soundbars From Sony, JBL, Sonos, More During the Amazon Sale
  7. Realme 15T Review
  1. iPhone 18 Tipped to Launch With Brighter Display, BOE May Lose Supplier Role
  2. OnePlus Nord 6 Key Specifications Including Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC Revealed via Geekbench Listing
  3. iQOO 15 Ultra Design and Colourways Revealed Ahead of Launch in China
  4. Samsung Galaxy S26 Launch Date, Pre-Order Timeline Tipped Ahead of Galaxy Unpacked Next Month
  5. Shambala Now Streaming Online: What You Need to Know About Aadi Saikumar Starrer Movie
  6. Deepinder Goyal to Step Down as Eternal CEO; Blinkit’s Albinder Dhindsa Named Successor
  7. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Says AI’s Real Test Is Whether It Reaches Beyond Big Tech: Report
  8. Meta's New AI Team Delivered First Key Models Internally This Month, CTO Says
  9. Apple Pay Reportedly Likely to Launch in India Soon; iPhone Maker Said to Be in Talks With Card Networks
  10. Netflix Will Now Pay All Cash for Warner Bros. to Keep Paramount at Bay
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.