BlackBerry 10 smartphones won't be sold in Japan
Handset maker says that "Japan is not a major market for BlackBerry," so the company has no plans to launch devices running its latest operating systems there.
As BlackBerry rolls deeper into the smartphone world with the launch of BlackBerry 10, it looks like some countries will be left off of the map.
The device maker confirmed today that it has no plans to launch any BlackBerry 10 smartphones in Japan.
"We are in the process of launching BlackBerry 10 globally in key markets and we are seeing positive demand for the BlackBerry Z10 in countries where it has already launched," a BlackBerry spokesperson told CNET in an e-mail. "Japan is not a major market for BlackBerry, and we have no plans to launch BlackBerry 10 smartphones there at this time."
Although Japan is a major consumer of smartphones, BlackBerry devices are not among the country's favorites. According to research firm ComScore, Android took 64 percent of Japan's smartphone market share and Apple's iOS grabbed a 32 percent share in August. That left Microsoft's Windows Phone in third place with 3 percent, and BlackBerry OS and Nokia's Symbian combined eked out less than half a percentage point.
It's unclear if BlackBerry will forgo selling its smartphones in other countries also. Despite the company's decision not to launch BlackBerry 10 in Japan, its spokesperson did say, "we will continue to support BlackBerry customers in Japan."