Rogers decision not to stock BlackBerry Z30 brings backlash

TORONTO — A decision to forgo the latest BlackBerry smartphone has wireless carrier Rogers defending itself against claims that it’s abandoning a longtime relationship with the struggling Canadian company.

Rogers Communications, one of the country’s largest wireless carriers, faced an unexpected backlash on Thursday after what it called a “routine decision” to exclude the new BlackBerry Z30 touchscreen model from its lineup.

Social media and message boards were flooded with comments from some customers who said they would consider cancelling their services with Rogers in protest.

Rogers president Rob Bruce said he was surprised and perplexed by there action, but that the company wouldn’t change its decision.

“Part of our success is choosing a portfolio of devices that’s a winning portfolio for our customers,” he said.

“This is exactly the kind of decision that this was,” Bruce said, adding that the choice had been made several months ago.

The reaction followed an announcement from BlackBerry on the release date of its Z30 touchscreen model, which is roughly the size of a Samsung Galaxy 4.

The list of wireless companies who would stock the device didn’t include Rogers, which was an early adopter of BlackBerry products.

Rogers played a key role in the BlackBerry launch and hosted the Canadian debut of the new generation of phones at its headquarters in February, with BlackBerry chief executive Thorsten Heins and Rogers head Nadir Mohamed posing for photos together.

The company’s decision to skip the new model quickly spread to Twitter and message boards where some customers vented their displeasure.

“Is it time to leave Rogers?” asked a user with the Twitter name M—L—Titan.

“Shame on you Rogers for not carrying BlackBerry’s new Z30!” wrote t—reaker.

Other users found it more concerning for BlackBerry to lose one of its most enthusiastic supporters while trying to turn around its moneylosing operations.

Rogers typically carries a selection of about 20 devices at its larger retail stores, Bruce said. The slate already includes BlackBerry’s Z10 touchscreen phone, the Q10 keyboard version and a lower priced Q5 model.

“This is not the first time that our competitors have carried a device and we’ve chosen not to,” he said.

BlackBerry says the BlackBerry Z30 will be stocked by other Canadian carriers such as Bell and Telus as well as retailers such as Best Buy and Future Shop.