iPhone in “Striking Distance” of Unseating BlackBerry
by John Paczkowski
Posted on October 27, 2009 at 1:59 PM PT
The BlackBerry’s days as the smart phone of choice among consumers in the U.S. appear to be winding down. While Research in Motion’s (RIMM) popular device is still the leader in the smart-phone space, with 40 percent market share, its dominance is threatened by Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone.
This according to a new survey from ChangeWave Research (see chart below; click to enlarge), which found that the iPhone now accounts for 30 percent of the smart-phone market. That’s almost double the share it held a year ago. Remarkable considering that the device is currently available from just a single carrier.
“Apple’s share keeps skyrocketing,” said ChangeWave research director Paul Carton. “Their last earnings report points that out. But these numbers show that their momentum is continuing. They’re firing on all cylinders.”
Indeed. Of consumers who plan to buy a smart phone in the next 90 days, 36 percent plan to purchase an iPhone. Meanwhile, 27 percent are considering a BlackBerry and eight percent a Palm (PALM) device.
Said Carton: “In the horserace among manufacturers, the release of the iPhone 3GS has led to a big jump in smart phone market share for Apple and has placed them within striking distance of Research In Motion–whose slew of models are still number one but have fallen to their lowest level in two years.”
[Image Credit: GadgetPhix]
