BlackBerry says it is smashing its own sales records with the launch of its new smartphones.

Just how many units it has sold is a still a secret but the  Waterloo-based company issued an enthusiastic statement today which said it had quote: ”  .. the best day ever for the first day of a launch.”

President and CEO Torsten Heins  says first day sales were 50 per cent better than any other launch day in the company’s  history in Canada.

BlackBerry, formerly known as Research In Motion, saw a volatile morning, with the stock first down, then up then down again. The shares eked out a 0.2% gain, to close at $16.05.

A successful rollout of the new devices is considered crucial for the company – which has lost significant market share to Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S3.