BlackBerry Torch 9800: The Discount Effect [video]

Has the recently launched (on Thursday) Blackberry Torch failed? Well, according to reports, the BlackBerry Torch has sold 150,000 units in its first three days. That’s not a bad number, but yet the Torch is already being offered at a discount on Amazon.com and other online retailers, or say they have slashed its price just half……why so?

Amazon’s Torch page is selling the smartphone for $99.99, when actually the device costs $199.99. But what went wrong? It was the phone that RIM CEO Jim Balsillie openly described as “a quantum leap over anything that’s out there.” Price drops may be related to sluggish Torch sales according to The Wall Street Journal, which 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.

But the figure is not that bad also because Sprint also sold that many Evo 4Gs in its first three days, and it’s three times as many as the Palm Pre managed at launch. I remember RIM heralded the BlackBerry Torch as the best BlackBerry yet, with its sliding keyboard design and touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, and revamped BlackBerry OS6. You can always check the official website for more feature details here.

But whatever might be the corporate thought, I will advise you to grab this opportunity and get a Torch as soon as possible, as the phone is quite amendable, and who knows, if the sales pick up because of this discount, they might even get back to its original pricing.

Tags: amazon, blackberry, blackberry 9800, blackberry torch, blackberry torch 9800, droid x, iphone 4, rim, smartphone, sprint, torch, video