Blackberry Curve Bumps iPhone for Top Spot

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://theappleblog.com/2009/05/04/apple-takes-it-on-the-chin-blackberry-curve-surpasses-iphone-in-popularity/' target='_blank'>http://theappleblog.com/2009/05/04/...-in-popularity/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Lower prices and wider availability are likely responsible, but whatever the reason, Apple probably isn't super pleased with the news today that Research in Motion's BlackBerry Curve has surpassed the iPhone as the No. 1 most popular smartphone in the U.S."</em></p><p><em><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1241481056.usr105634.jpg" /></em></p><p>Ouch. I would agree they are probably not happy about slipping to number 2 on the list generated by <a href="http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_090504.html" target="_blank">The NPD Group</a>, a wireless industry market research company. And right behind the iPhone on the list is the RIM <a href="http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/blackberrystorm/" target="_blank">Storm</a>. In fact, <a href="http://www.rim.com/" target="_blank">RIM</a> takes 3 of the top 5 spots with their <a href="http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/blackberrypearl8100/" target="_blank">Pearl</a> (non-flip version) in number 4 followed by the <a href="http://www.t-mobileg1.com/" target="_blank">T-Mobile G1</a>. The stats were compiled over a three month period ending in March, which showed that RIM's smartphone market share increased 15% to almost 50% of the market. Apple and Palm both dropped about 10% during the same period. This was attributed to an aggressive "buy-one-get-one" promotion. It probably doesn't hurt that they have more carriers than the iPhone either.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[doogald]

Apple has made it very clear that they pay more attention to profits than they do to market share numbers, so I am thinking that they are pleased that they can sell two iPhone models with a single carrier without needing to make BOGO deals and still come in second to a phone on multiple carriers, and ahead of the Storm (also on a single carrier.)

[Vincent Ferrari]

Let's see... Apple's 2 models on one carrier are behind RIM's 4-6 different "Curves" on various carriers.

Hmmm... Doesn't seem like a loss to me. In fact, if I were RIM and I was churning out that many different models of the same phone on that many different carriers and couldn't hold that one spot, I should be fired.

On a different note, notice the Pearl is below the Storm. That's also on every carrier in tons of flavors and model numbers. There's only one "single" model on the entire list: The Storm.

[doogald]

On a different note, notice the Pearl is below the Storm. That's also on every carrier in tons of flavors and model numbers. There's only one "single" model on the entire list: The Storm.

The T-Mobile G1 is single as well, is it not?

I also notice a lack of WM phones in the top 5. That's gotta be a bummer.

[Vincent Ferrari]

Actually, the G1 comes in three colors under three SKUs, so I considered that three phones.

[crimsonsky]

Interesting considering that after 6 months, I've retired my Curve and returned to my WM Device - my T-Mobile Wing. I find the Wing, for all it's faults to be a much more capable device than the Curve. BUT, I'm not your normal cell phone user. I have a 1000 minute family plan for me and my wife because it's the cheapest family plan that T-Mobile offers, but between the two of us, we rarely use even 200 minutes a month. For me, I value PDA functions much more highly than phone functions, and the Curve is a very sorry PDA compared to the Wing.

Even given the Curve's excellence with email, email on the Blackberry is more like instant messaging. I use Mobile Me and I want access to my IMAP folders which you can't do natively on a BlackBerry (and the 3rd party solutions I found were second rate). IMAP mail with Windows Mobile is more or less like desktop IMAP and that's what I want. Don't need push so much (I have my Wing check every 15 minutes and that's more than good enough).

But for most "ordinary" users, the Curve is good enough and it's cheap. You can get them for as little as $50 and with some carriers, even free. And it's a great phone and communications device and the keyboard is second to none. So I'm not surprised at how well it's doing.

[Fritzly]

Actually, the G1 comes in three colors under three SKUs, so I considered that three phones.

If color identify a model there are four different iPhones, aren' there?
White 8GB
White 16GB
Black 8GB
Black 16GB

Said that I think the decline in the iPhone sales are related to the expectation that a new model is, supposedly, coming out soon.

[Vincent Ferrari]

If color identify a model there are four different iPhones, aren' there?

Yes there are four instead of two. My bad. Either way, it's a multiple SKU phone meaning the Storm is still the only single SKU phone on the list.