When it comes to smartphones, I think a lot of us gadget junkies tend to focus on the latest and greatest and often forget that the flagship / top of the line (most expensive) devices are not always the ones everybody is buying.
Case in point: The NDP Group's Smartphone Market update report came out today proclaiming that the #1 selling smartphone in the the United States for the first quarter of 2009 was none other than the BlackBerry Curve 8300 series, chopping down the iPhone to the number two position. The top five rounded out as follows:
1. RIM BlackBerry Curve (all 83XX models)
2. Apple iPhone 3G (all models)
3. RIM BlackBerry Storm
4. RIM BlackBerry Pearl (all models, except flip)
5. T-Mobile G1
Three positions out of the top five for RIM... according to NDP, RIM's consumer smartphone market share increased 15 percent to nearly 50 percent of the smartphone market in Q1 2009 versus the prior quarter, as Apple's and Palm's share both declined 10 percent each. Keep it up RIM, keep it up.
[ Engadget ]
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35 comments
Hate to tell ya'll haterz, but the BlackBerry is becoming
THE WORLD PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kind of funny how people are quick to point out the Storm's shortcomings, but yet it's 3rd on the list.
I was about to say the same thing. Looks like the Storm is doing pretty well for a phone that supposedly everyone hates. Just goes to show you that you can't rely on the rants of the "nattering nabobs of negativity".
And on that note, where the heck is my beloved Bold? Must be number 6. HA.
I know what you mean. I have heard so many bad things about the Storm.
I'm a Storm owner, and honestly, I don't see what everyone is complaining about. As long as you maintain the phone correctly, it runs like a champ.
I snapped my Storm in half like that iPhone. I am waiting on the TOUR......
I would expect to see the BlackBerry 8900 up on the list. I guess not.
Congrats BB 8300 ;)
It makes me feel proud to be a BB owner!!
I have always been pround to be a BlackBerry owner, especially a BB 8330 CURVE owner.
How sweeeet it is.
WAY TO GO RIM !!
- CB
And the BlackBerry NIAGARA/TOUR hasn't even been announced by RIM yet. Just wait till it is released.
Wonder how come the Bold didn't make the list.
The Bold did not make it, because it is AT&T. Lets face the facts, sorry.
Funny, I thought the iPhone was AT&T? Yet it seems to be on the list...
I think the point was that AT&T has been attempting to move the iPhone more than BBs, and that Bold sales are suffering as a result.
Let's review the list, shall we?
#1 - sold by all US carriers
#2 - AT&T exclusive
#3 - Verizon exclusive
#4 - sold by all US carriers
#5 - TMo-US exclusive
I don't think the iphone is pushed anymore than any other device. I work for at&t and people come in looking for the iphone and that's what they want. The advertising apple puts into their devices is exactly the reason everyone wants it. When it comes to the Bold with the price point the same as the iphone 16GB with not even a full GB of on board storage on the Bold it is a specialty device when it comes down to it. If someone is going for BB it's no wonder the Curve is best selling as of 1st quarter.
yeah....i was thinking the exact same thing....i think its not up there because of the price.....kind of extra expensive but totally worth every single dollar!!!!
Hey Apple, put that in your iPipe and smoke it!
where are the fanboys at? i dont see theeeeeeeeeeeem
go rim, gooooooooo
The fanboys don't need to come out. They see that #2 is a great spot. There are how many different Curves, on how many different carriers? There are 2 iPhones, on 1 U.S. carrier, and on other carriers around the world. For the iPhone to still be #2 is incredible. Congrats to the Curve though, it is a great phone.
keep in mind tho..the 83xx series is sold on numerous networks so millions of more users from various networks have that opp to get the 83xx..except att
the iphone being number 2 is actually amazing. sole network att..cant beat it..
As true as that maybe, remember that when the Iphone came out, tons of people switched carriers. To this day people still switch carriers for the Iphone. Smart of RIM to have most of their phones spread over the market. But the important thing to remember is 83xx is not the latest and greatest and it beat the fanboy-proclaimed "godphone". Consumers know what they want and what they need. As it stands for Q1, its not a toy. It's a business machine.
I like both, but... RIM! I just bought my BB 8330 last week, and love it!!
I hope 2Q results are to follow like Q1! I bought mine, thats 1 more!
BB > iJunk
(2)-8330's w/Verizon on Contract - $99.99
(1)-8330 w/Sprint on Contract - $99.99
(1)-83XX w/T-Mobile on Contract - $99.99
(1)-83XX w/AT&T on Contract - $149.99
iPhone's still remaining #2 while selling between $199 - $299 on (1) carrier, even with rumors of a new model this June/July:
PRICELESS
All kidding aside, the 83XX are one of the best smartphones available, they have a great look and are capable of doing many things. If I didn't like the iPhone so much, I would be sporting a 8330 on Verizon until the new 9630 Tour is available.
yea iphone sells arent counting when people have to rebuy an iphone after they break, lose, or get stolen since u can get insurance with the iphone through att
I just read in the original report that this was mainly due to the aggressive buy-one-get-one promotions.
If they're counting the freebies as sales, it doesn't seem like a good comparison point against the iPhone.
Either way, I love BB!
woo :)
I have the curve 8330
haha now I'm proud to own it
I got my first blackberry this year. My wife had to get one for work and it was buy 1 get 1 free. I used to hate the idea of blackberry. I thought they were ridiculous and for stuck up snobs and i have to say it was awsome marketing because now i have one and my wife both 1st owners and i will never own anything but a blackberry. I miss my LG though. oh well i have moved on to much better equipment. we own the Storms and i am extremely happy with them. They are a little slow sometimes but whatever. I have friends with the Iphone and i get jealous sometimes until i use my phone again.. its all preference.
This has been posted already in the 83** forum. The boss is asleep at the wheel LOL
Here's all these new Curve 83xx's sold since January 2009 -- and RIM's going to end-of-life them by not including them in the new BB 5.0 release.
Doesn't make a lick of sense -- no matter how cheap you're selling the phones. You can't explain to the consumer how a device they bought within 90 days can't run the company's newest OS.
furk the iphone
It is hard for a few to say that this phone is hated by everyone when there is 306,360,055people in the U.S. and World population is 6,777,851,169. I my self had not tried that blackberry model out to date. But it is interesting why a few think’s the can talk for the world?
I will break down and buy one to try it out.
I love how the IPhone is surrounded by BB phones, Curve, Storm, and Pearl.
;)
I personally think that this article is a testament to the popularity of the Storm more than anything. I hear all this ranting and raving about how the iPhone is one model vs. an entire lineup on multiple carriers, so if that's the case it seems pretty impressive that the Storm is #3 even with a myriad of options available to BlackBerry users. Especially with the negative publicity it has received.
If you ask me, the iPhone is second place because more and more people don't want to be confused with the zombie hipster fanatics sporting them these days.
Don't forget, the curve 83XX series is spread across how many carriers worldwide and a fair number in the US alone....the iPhone in the U.S. only tango's with AT&T....I'd be interested what the numbers might look like if the iPhone were available via numerous carriers within U.S.! (not jumping on the iphone bandwagon, just a cellphone addict and a true crackberry haha!)
Keep on Keepin on!
- J
so what that the iphone is technically one carrier (there probably more iphone users on tmobile then curve owners) THat is just good business on RIMS part. But I do have to say that the iphone being 2 is a good achievement, just as the storm being number 3.
The iPhone has also been available for about 2 years longer than the Storm ... healthy competition in the marketplace is a good thing for all of us ... Storm updates to the OS are coming fast and furious, each Beta better than the last ... iPhone has gotten complacent and their 3.0 release isn't all that impressive compared to the OS 5.0 looming on the horizon for the Storm ... If RIM releases an OS for the Storm that harnesses the virtually unused 1gb of on-board flash memory all bets are off, the Storm will be literally a palm-sized laptop ... apps be damned ... I've been to the Apple store, yeah they got an app for everything and I don't need or want 99% of them ... however, I am running 41 apps on my Storm right now that I DO use and I'm only getting 28.4mb available RAM after a soft boot. Granted the latest version of MeterBerry with built-in memory cleaning keeps my available RAM over 20mb throughout the whole day ... but come on RIM, put the nail in the iPhone coffin and USE the frigging flash memory for APPS!!!!
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