BlackBerry Torch already being sold at discount

The BlackBerry Torch, which launched Thursday, is being offered at a discount on Amazon.com and other online retailers.

According to Amazon's Torch page, the smartphone is being sold for $99.99--as of this writing. The device's official price is $199.99.

The smartphone from Research In Motion is being offered for $99.99 at Wirefly, as well. At AT&T stores and on AT&T's Web site, the device is still selling for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

On Monday, meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that analysts were disappointed with Torch sales. The newspaper said that Stifel Nicolaus and RBC analysts calculated Torch sales in its opening weekend at 150,000 units. The number pales in comparison with the 1.7 million iPhone 4 handsets Apple sold at launch. It's also worth noting that, unlike the iPhone 4 and the Droid X at launch, the BlackBerry Torch is still widely available after its first weekend.

RIM is clearly sensitive about the pricing issue. The company said in a statement Tuesday that Amazon's decision to offer the Torch at a discounted price since launch is nothing remarkable. It also said that it has yet to cut the official price of this latest BlackBerry.

"It is true that Amazon is offering an amazing price and this is great news for customers, but it is inaccurate and misleading to suggest that a price cut has been implemented," a RIM spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement. "Amazon actually launched the BlackBerry Torch from the very beginning at $99 and that is obviously a common online pricing and promotional strategy that has been used with many other product introductions in the past."

The RIM spokesperson included a link showing other "attractive discounts" being offered on Amazon's smartphone listings page.

Regardless, for anyone who is looking to snag a Torch, now is a great time. It's nice to get a 50 percent discount on a just-launched smartphone.

(Via Gizmodo)

Updated at 12:11 p.m. PDT: Added statement from RIM.