* Launch comes just weeks before new Samsung, HTC devices hit shelves
* BlackBerry shares down 8 pct on Nasdaq, TSX
Nearly two months after its formal unveiling, BlackBerry's new Z10 smartphone finally went on sale in the hyper-competitive U.S. market on Friday, where its performance may well decide whether BlackBerry can reestablish itself as an industry leader.
BlackBerry, which is already selling the new touch-screen smartphone in about 25 countries, aims to make the Z10's new operating system the clear No. 3 platform on the market, a realistic but still difficult challenge, analysts say.
"I think the U.S. will be a challenge for BlackBerry more so than some of the countries where they have already launched," said Morningstar analyst Brian Colello.
"The momentum for iPhone and Android is too strong here. I still think they can win over some enterprise users, but the U.S. is a country where BlackBerry's brand has been greatly diminished."
BlackBerry once ruled the U.S. smartphone market, but it has fallen badly in recent years as devices powered by Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems dominate sales both in North America and overseas.
The BlackBerry 10 operating system will now slug it out with Microsoft's Windows 8 platform to secure the No. 3 spot in the market.
But by most accounts BlackBerry has a tough fight ahead. It not only has to win back the hearts and minds of consumers, but the timing is hardly ideal, with the Samsung Galaxy S4, expected to go on sale by the end of April, generating a lot of buzz.
Indianexpress
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