BlackBerry apparently sold less than 50,000 Priv handsets
Although BlackBerry sold 200,000 less devices than expected during the third quarter, the company formerly known as RIM succeeded in reducing the losses, thus sending up the stock price. However, data from the Google Play Store reveals that the BlackBerry Priv accounted for less than 10 percent of the 700,000 units sold during the period.
BlackBerry Priv-exclusive apps in the Google Play Store only appear when accessing the store using this handset and the store pages of essential ones like Keyboard, Services, or Launcher show "10,000+ downloads" but, when checking the full browser Play Store, the number of installs shown is "10,000-50,000."
While the Priv became available for purchase only two weeks before the end of third quarter, the fact that only AT&T sells it in the US for now should also be considered. More markets and US carriers will introduce it in the months to come, so 2016 will be a decisive year for BlackBerry's phone business as previously revealed by the company's CEO John Chen. Fortunately, BlackBerry Priv will get a price cut in February and that might boost sales, but it is something that remains to be seen.