BlackBerry Z10 off to a “solid start” in pre-orders, “widespread sell-outs” in the UK: Analyst

BlackBerry’s new Z10 smartphone is off to a “solid start” in terms of pre-orders and has experienced “widespread sell-outs” following its launch in the UK, according to a research note from a leading analyst.

The comments, made by Jefferies analyst Peter Misek and republished by Forbes, follow the launch of the new smartphone in the UK.

“We believe Carphone Warehouse is seeing widespread sell-outs while O2, Vodafone, Orange and EE are seeing robust demand,” Misek states.

“We estimate sell-in to be at least several hundred thousand units. To put that in perspective, the iPhone had first weekend sales of five million plus in the US. The US is five times larger so continued strong sales could bode very well for BlackBerry.”

The BlackBerry Z10 is the first of two smartphones recently launched by BlackBerry, which until recently was known as Research in Motion, based on its new BlackBerry 10 platform.

The Z10 features a full-screen touch display, while its yet-to-be released “sister phone” the Q10 – which is expected to be released in April – will feature a traditional BlackBerry keyboard layout.