RIM Sells 150,000 BlackBerry Torch Devices in Debut [REPORT]

BlackBerry's "best device ever," the Torch, doesn't seem to be selling as well as some analysts expected.

The WSJ cites analysts at RBC Capital Markets and Stifel Nicolaus, which both estimate that RIM sold about 150,000 of the device over the weekend. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs called the launch "underwhelming." For comparison's sake, the iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million devices in its opening weekend.

Granted, the Torch is not iPhone 4 -- end users are more likely to buy the iPhone directly in stores, while BlackBerry devices are often sold to business customers, who aren't often the first in line to buy a new device. But there are some similarities. Like the iPhone 4, the Torch is available through AT&T for $199.99 with a two-year service contract. With its updated OS, large screen and a slide-out keyboard, it should be a perfect competitor to Apple's smartphone.

However, arguably the biggest upgrade is the version 6 of the BlackBerry operating system, which will also be rolling out to other BlackBerry devices soon. As Mashable's Christina Warren wrote,

Still, it's too early to call the Torch a failure or a success; as RIM expands the launch to other countries and carriers, we'll have a clearer picture. To learn more about the device, check out the hands-on video review we did last week: