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IPhone Hasn't Buried BlackBerry

April 28, 2008


Wall Street Journal.com
By Ben Worthen

The iPhone hasn't proven to be a BlackBerry killer. But other phone makers might want to start shopping for Headstones.

While the chattering class is buzzing at the prospect of a fight to the death between the iPhone and the BlackBerry for mobile-device supremacy, Research In Motion, which makes the BlackBerry, hasn't to date been much affected by Apple's foray into the phone business.

Only 5% of iPhone owners said their previous phone was a BlackBerry, according to a new survey of nearly 3,600 consumers by ChangeWave Research. Instead, the iPhone is stealing market share from other phone makers: Thirty-nine percent of people who've bought an iPhone switched from a Motorola phone; 14% switched from Samsung; 12% from Nokia and 9% from Palm.

The survey suggests that the BlackBerry and the iPhone are coexisting – and that they'll continue to coexist after Apple releases a business-friendly version of iPhone intended to compete directly with the BlackBerry in June. Both iPhone (79%) and BlackBerry (54%) owners said they're very satisfied with their device, tops among all makers. And people use the devices for different purposes: BlackBerry owners said they like that the phone gives them access to email, an issue that didn't crack either the likes or dislikes list for the iPhone. IPhone owners said the integration of a phone, iPod and Web browser was their favorite feature. (The BlackBerry's Web browser topped that device's dislikes list.)

The top reason why people hadn't bought an iPhone was that they didn't feel a need for the device (52%), followed by the high cost (23%), and the requirement to use AT&T's service (16%). And while 10% of people surveyed said that the business-friendly version of the iPhone made them more likely to buy the device, the overwhelming majority – 79% – said that the moves would have no effect on their decision.

Wall Street Journal.com