The iPhone lost its spot as top-selling phone to the BlackBerry Curve in the first quarter of 2009, but that doesn’t necessarily spell the end of the iPhone’s market dominance, said Ross Rubin, an analyst for researchers The NPD Group.
According to an NPD survey, the five top-selling smartphones between Jan. 1 and March 31 were the BlackBerry Curve, the Apple iPhone 3G, the BlackBerry Storm, the BlackBerry Pearl (not including the Pearl Flip) and the T-Mobile G1 with the Android operating system.
The Curve was the big winner for two main reasons, said Mr. Rubin. One was Verizon’s “Buy one, get one free” deal for the BlackBerry. “That promotion pushed it over the top,” he said. Another reason is that the Curve is available through four major carriers, while the iPhone remains exclusive to AT&T.
Not to take anything away from the capabilities of the Curve, however. “It’s lightweight, inexpensive and thin, and it embodies the characteristics that makes the BlackBerry a popular phone,” said Mr. Rubin.
The fact that the Curve shot ahead on an aggressive promotion signals promise for the much-awaited Palm Pre. “When a carrier supports a device, it does well,” Mr. Rubin said, adding that Sprint had promised record spending to market the Pre. The Pre may be the iPhone’s most prominent challenger in coming months.
Also notable was entry of the T-Mobile G1 into the top five phones, which signals the growth of the smartphone category despite the typically higher cost of their calling plans. “We see smartphones continue to gain share in the overall handset category,” said Mr. Rubin.
With the BlackBerry promotion over, the iPhone may recapture the top slot, unless a new iPhone is about to come out, said Mr. Rubin. He said that shipments of a current model tended to dry up before a new release, which can drive down sales numbers.
According to an NPD survey, the five top-selling smartphones between Jan. 1 and March 31 were the BlackBerry Curve, the Apple iPhone 3G, the BlackBerry Storm, the BlackBerry Pearl (not including the Pearl Flip) and the T-Mobile G1 with the Android operating system.
The Curve was the big winner for two main reasons, said Mr. Rubin. One was Verizon’s “Buy one, get one free” deal for the BlackBerry. “That promotion pushed it over the top,” he said. Another reason is that the Curve is available through four major carriers, while the iPhone remains exclusive to AT&T.
Not to take anything away from the capabilities of the Curve, however. “It’s lightweight, inexpensive and thin, and it embodies the characteristics that makes the BlackBerry a popular phone,” said Mr. Rubin.
The fact that the Curve shot ahead on an aggressive promotion signals promise for the much-awaited Palm Pre. “When a carrier supports a device, it does well,” Mr. Rubin said, adding that Sprint had promised record spending to market the Pre. The Pre may be the iPhone’s most prominent challenger in coming months.
Also notable was entry of the T-Mobile G1 into the top five phones, which signals the growth of the smartphone category despite the typically higher cost of their calling plans. “We see smartphones continue to gain share in the overall handset category,” said Mr. Rubin.
With the BlackBerry promotion over, the iPhone may recapture the top slot, unless a new iPhone is about to come out, said Mr. Rubin. He said that shipments of a current model tended to dry up before a new release, which can drive down sales numbers.
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