Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: BlackBerry, Curve, iPhone | Themes: Smartphones
According to a list compiled by AvianResearch, RIM's Blackberry Curve is the most popular mobile phone in retail stores, with Apple's iPhone 3G sliding in at second place. Really, this one should be obvious.
As each year advances, mobile phones become more and more sophisticated, morphing from the old-school flip designs of yesteryear to sophisticated, handheld computers capable of writing documents, playing detailed games and rendering high-resolution video. As of late, it's easy to debate on whether RIM's Blackberry Curve is better than Apple's iPhone: both have their strengths and weaknesses. While the Blackbery Curve reaches out to the executive offering secure business solutions and a full QWERTY keyboard, the iPhone offers a plethora of tools that propel it beyond any kind of "mobile phone" classification. Both devices allow users to install applications, watch television shows, and check email online.
However, according to December numbers compiled by AvianResearch, RIM's Blackberry Curve came out on top while Apple's iPhone ranked in at a close second. And even while consumers might actually prefer the RIM smartphone because of features and functionality, it's certainly clear that the Curve has an advantage over Apple's iPhone simply due to availability. While AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and other carriers currently offer the BlachBerry Curve, AT&T mobility is the only carrier to offer Apple's iPhone. Additionally, consumers wanting the features of the iPhone -but not wanting a long-term commitment with AT&T nor the actual phone functionality- can actually purchase the iPod Touch 2G (2nd Generation) and enjoy the shared technology.
With that said, the BlackBerry Curve is a bit more accessible on the mobile phone market, giving it an edge over Apple's highly coveted device. AvianResearch's statistics actually stem from responses given by 100 service representatives and store managers via AvianResearch's Monthly Retail Store Survey, covering all four US wireless service providers (T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint Nextel) who, in turn, account for 85 percent of all wireless subscribers. The statistics provided by the survey, however, actually have nothing to do with sales figures, and are solely based on popularity.
In addition to the BlackBerry Curve and Apple iPhone, RIM's BlackBerry Storm appeared on the list at #3, currently available at Verizon Wireless. LG holds the next two spots, with the Voyager sliding into 4th place and the Dare slotting into the fifth position, both also at Verizon Wireless. RIM's third entry in the popularity contest rides in a #6 with the hit mobile phone "BlackBerry Bold" courtesy of AT&T Mobility. Samsung dominates the next three listings with its Rant, Behold and Instinct, while the bottom-feeder LG Env2 from Verizon Wireless lands in the 10th position.
But even though the list doesn't reflect consumer dollars crossing counter shelves, the list certainly shows that consumers still have an interest in mobile devices despite the gloomy economic situation in its unforeseen future. RIM, Samsung and LG fill all but one position on the chart, showing that perhaps availability is not the key issue, but rather a company's previous history and valued reputation. Still, if anything, hats off should go to Apple for achieving such high consumer appreciation with just one product.
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Two words: PRICE TAG.
iPhone shot itself in the foot with a carrier that requires such a high safety deposit (my quote with good credit was 600$... no lie). Nobody in this market is willing to pay that for a phone.
You can waltz in to Be$t Buy right now and get a BlackBerry off the shelf for one of those pay-as-you-go plans with a few different characters. I go pay my Alltel bill in store today, and I can get a curve for $150 or less with a two year plan, and get the majority of the vital functionality that I can get with an iPhone.
The only real difference I've seen is a brand name, a few games, a motion sensor, and a few apps that can be cancelled out with a little googling. Nothing to justify the huge pricetag on the iPhone, especially in this economy.
here in Canada it only cost me $100 for the 16GB iPhone as i was upgrading my old phone. The plan is $40 a month for 5 GB's of data,with pretty much unlimited calling and text. It your case it is definitely your carrier's fault, not apples
I never said it had anything to do with being apples fault, and you upgraded from already being on that service carrier. You're entitled to a deal if you already use their service. That goes for just about every cell carrier.
Down here in the US, normally it goes:
-Get first phone and open account with carrier.
-Sign 2 year contract.
-One year passes, re-sign a contract for another 2 years, and get a different phone at the sale price to new customers.
OR
-Buy new phone early at full price.
Until Apple gets off their lazy arses and adds something as simple as Picture Texting they will continue to get their "Butts Kicked" by the Blackberry. I like my 3G but I will not ever buy another one if it doesnt have picture messaging. If another company comes out with a similar phone that has most of the bells and whistles I will gladly pay out my contract and buy elsewhere.
Until Apple gets off their lazy asses and adds something as simple as picture messaging they will continue to get their butts kicked by Blackberry. I like my 3G but I would gladly pay out my contract if someone else offers a similar phone with most of the bells and whistles and the 3G. It just pisses me off every time I get a text message telling me to go to viewmymessage.com because my high tech phone cant view it on the screen. I CALL BULL___!!!
Safety deposit? I didn't have to pay anything.
I would like to see the world wide sales of the curve and the 3G to date...
Lets see who is #1, something tells me Iphone has sold far more.
I would hope so. My curve is a piece of crap. There is no real basis of comparison between the iphone and what it will do - and the curve - unless it is what the curve won't do. Ive had an iphone for over a year and nobody has sent me a picture text yet. Email is way more functional.
Chokehold... I dont think iphone can get picure TXT's...
** anyhow she did!!!!
DAMN IPHONE!!!!!!!!
This past weekend i nearly broke up with my GF over this…. True story.
We were hammered Friday night at different places and talkin all sweet and stuff, after we were off phone I txt her to send me some pics of her **as if, but I can try asking
So on my side I received nothing, but she is all pi**ed cause she sent them to me and of course im not replying to a message i never got.
Anyhow the next day we were together and sure enough she showed me the pics on her phone and they were sent to me. I did not receive the txt’s or the pics. I proved to her by having her TXT me a picture of the wall... which i did not get.
In the end… I didn’t get the pics ever
guess it takes an Obama and a crackberry to take down the iPhone.
My next phone will be a Blackberry. Support Canada, buy Canadian!
I would like to see the world wide sales of the curve and the 3G to date...Lets see who is #1, something tells me Iphone has sold far more.
Don't have any sales figures to back this up, but in AUS I've only seen one or two people with an iphone. And I suspect that they were Yankee terrorists... Uh, tourists.
We can buy an iphone in mall kiosks, unlocked, and use them on prepaid plans as well. But why? Crap battery life, can't carry a spare battery... Data costs are megabucks over 3g, and if I needed data, I'd use an HSDPA capable adapter in my laptop anyway.
Have any of you guys heard of HTC? The HTC Touch Pro and such OWNS both black berry and iphone!
^^ uhm, no. multi touch is the key, none of them have it.
the touch pro is slow as fck, and not really made to me touched with your fingers, the blackberry's screen is way to small, and the touch panel suffers from the same problems as the htc.
atm, only the iphone has the features it has. despite all the crappy software errors, the phone is still (at least for me) the best there is.
Except that research company does not take in numbers from Apple store, Best Buy, or Wal-Mart which are the main sellers of the iPhone. Neither does it take into account that there are other flavors of BB Curve on 5 different carriers, compared to only AT&T for iPhone in the US.