The new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is outselling the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3 at Glentel, the largest independent mobile phone retailer in Canada.
Okay, so that's a lots of allowances; judging from other reports in most other countries where the Z10 is now available, sales are slower than anticipated, but maybe the Canadian numbers better reflect how BlackBerry 10 could do in the United States. And apparently Glentel is a pretty big deal up north.
"In a statement released on Monday, Burnaby, B.C.-based Glentel Inc., said the new Z10 model was 'the leading smartphone' sold within its 330 Canadian Wirelesswave and Wave sans Fils retail stores since the device's launch on Feb. 5," writes The Globe and Mail.
"Glentel did not respond to a request for additional comment and did not immediately make available any actual sales numbers."
So again, no specifics on the actual sales numbers, but that's been par for the course from both BlackBerry itself and its detractors, some of whom are big players in the financial markets.
At this point, it's mostly speculation and reading between the lines. BlackBerry says the launch of the all-touch Z10 has been the most successful of any BlackBerry phone to date. It helps that it's pretty much the only BlackBerry phone on the market right now, at least until the keyboard-equipped BlackBerry Q10 hits in a month or so.
BlackBerry releases its fourth quarter financial earnings on Mar. 28, so it will be interesting to see if they try to position the U.S. launch date for before or after the earnings report.
If the Z10 and Q10 come out afterward, BlackBerry can claim any low sales figures are about to be swept away by the upcoming releases. But it's also possible that the company is hoping for earlier releases in an effort to buoy the numbers.
In either case, the phones are much-anticipated in the United States. Check back for regular updates on the latest released dates and sales figures.