Mystery Partner Orders 1 Million BlackBerry 10 Smartphones

BlackBerry’s hopes of success with the BlackBerry 10 operating system have been boosted by an order for one million smartphones running BB10.

The Canadian manufacturer says that the purchase from the partner, who has not been identified, is the single largest order in the company’s history and serves as evidence that consumer and business support for the new OS is growing.

“An order for one million devices is a tremendous vote of confidence in BlackBerry 10,” said Rick Costanzo, executive vice president of global sales at BlackBerry. “Consumers are ready for a new user experience, and BlackBerry 10 delivers. With strong partner support, coupled with this truly re-invented new platform, we have a powerful recipe for success.”

Massive BlackBerry 10 order

BlackBerry 10 has been gaining momentum since the first smartphones running the software were unveiled in January, with the BlackBerry Z10 released in the UK last month. CEO Thorsten Heins claims that sales have exceeded expectations, with a second device, the keyboard-based BlackBerry Q10 due to hit shelves later this year.

BlackBerry has launched a range of incentives as part of an effort to retain and attract business and government customers. Its smartphones have long been favoured by government agencies as they meet the strict security requirements, but this advantage has been eroded by rival platforms which have improved their security standards, while BlackBerrys have become increasingly undesirable.

However, the positive reception that has met the BlackBerry Z10 and the new operating system has encouraged many to give BlackBerry another chance. The German government and the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT) are among those who have recently placed significant orders.

The company is also keen to get as many developers on board as possible as it seeks to make its devices attractive to consumers. It announced yesterday that cross-platform messaging service WhatsApp was now available to download from the BlackBerry World app store.

What do you know about BlackBerrys? Find out with our quiz!