The BlackBerry Curve is offically the most popular smartphone in America according to RCR Wireless. RCR does say that this stat is only an indication, but it is a return to form for RIM. The iPhone is 2nd, the Storm 3rd and the LG Voyager takes forth.
“The firm derives its ranking via its Monthly Retail Store Survey, which is based on responses from 100 service representatives and store managers at retail stores of the four major U.S. wireless carriers (AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc.). The survey is designed to be reflective of the U.S. wireless market from both a carrier market share and geographic standpoint. Collectively, AvianResearch said the four largest carriers represent 85% of the U.S. wireless market on a subscriber basis.
This list does not reflect actual sales statistics. Such numbers are not released by handset makers or carriers. Thus, this list is only an indication of subjective popularity.
For the purposes of this list, RCR Wireless News has added carrier information beyond the four largest carriers surveyed by Avian.”
The RCR survey almost certainly underestimates iPhone sales because it only surveys a cross-section of 100 stores from the phone carriers. Each Apple store in the US outsells a typical AT&T store by 7 to 1, so I’d take these figures with a pinch of salt.
These figures do tie in with this report though- http://www.pda-247.com/wordpress/2009/02/blackberry-sales-up-iphone-sales-down/
I wonder how that RCR survey would look were the iPhone available on all four major carriers at the $99 price point of the Curve.
But it isn’t. Apple would sale billions of laptops if they were priced at sensible levels. I think it is time for Apple to lead again and do something special via a new iPhone- it won’t stay popular forever and this is a very quick market.
I think you have to read profit a bit as well.
If RIM are making £50 on every phone, but apple are making £200, you hit the “Peugeot out does Rolls Royce because they sell more” (of course, RR i think has never made a loss unlike peugeot this year). Poor example, but hopefully get the gist
The iPhone is doing just fine, despite only being available on one carrier. In fact, if the RCR survey is correct – which is debatable – it was only outsold by one device, one which was half its price and far more widely available.
RIM sells a lot of devices, but it is currently struggling to hold on to Its profit margins and was so panicked by the iPhone that it foolishly launched the half-baked Storm. Meanwhile, the iPhone continues to comfortably outsell RIM’s flagship products.
As for the “billions of laptops” point; why try to compete in the commodity laptop market when you’re doing just fine selling high-spec, beautifully designed machines? All it would do is cheapen the Apple brand.
Yes the smartphone market is a quick market, but, two years on from the initial announcement, the iPhone is still the benchmark against which other smartphones are measured. Can it stay ahead? Who knows? We’ll find out later this year, I guess.
“All it would do is cheapen the Apple brand.” Not sure about that point. The iPod Touch is very cheap, but that has not cheapened the brand.
The trend appears to be down a bit for the iPhone, and while I agree that it is doing extremely well this trend needs to be considered.
No one commented when the iPhone was at the top and questioned the validity of the stats from the same people…
I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen anything from this RCR crowd, and there’s not a single stat in sight.
I also wasn’t aware that the iPod Touch was cheap.
I think the iPod Touch is well priced when compared to its competitors.