October 7th, 2008
iPhone Now Second Best-selling U.S. Mobile Phone: NPD
By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews
Whether or not Apple has already reached its target of 10 million iPhones sold by the end of 2008, it’s already reached another pretty amazing stat, particularly for a higher priced phone: according to the NPD Group, the iPhone is now the second highest-selling mobile phone. Not smartphone, mobile phone. #1 was the Motorola Razr V3.
Not only that, and far better for AT&T, 30% of iPhone 3G buyers switched from other carriers to AT&T during the period of June to August 2008. Of those “switchers,” 47% switched from Verizon Wireless, another 24% switched from T-Mobile, and 19% switched from Sprint.
In the NPD’s Monday press release, Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for The NPD Group said:
“The launch of the lower-priced iPhone 3G was a boon to overall consumer smartphone sales. While the original iPhone also helped win customers for AT&T, the faster network speeds of the iPhone 3G has proven more appealing to customers that already had access to a 3G network.”
Sheesh, I think they should have a study to determine how many people were screaming over the lousy 3G service, but anyway …
Further, the report stated that the average price of a smartphone sold between June and August 2008 was $174, down 26% from $236 during the same period last year.
And from June to August 2008, the top four best-selling smartphones based on unit-sales to consumers were:
- Apple iPhone 3G
- RIM Blackberry Curve
- RIM Blackberry Pearl
- Palm Centro
iJah420 says:
Just to refresh ALL you NAYSAYERS memories.
From your FEARLESS LEADER STEVE and I’m not talking Jobs.
I am SO Glad I stuck with AAPL.
However, I am subjected to their CRAPWARE EVERY DAY because my superiors know SO MUCH MORE than I do. Just like their DUMB ASS FEARLESS MONKEY BOY LEADER!!!!
People who BASH APPLE I say to you #$%^&% YOU you are so short sighted and close minded it makes my stomach CHURN!!
I am a very advanced user xross multiple platforms so DO NOT come back with your canned reply that I’m some FANBOY!! I know what works and I tell you right now MSFT is in trouble. Good Luck with that Vista enterprise roll out it is just a gem of a roll out NOT!!!! What a JOKE!!! Just like the following quote………
Ballmer: iPhone has ‘no chance’
The iPhone has no hope of gaining a true foothold in the cellphone marketplace, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The company head told an interviewer at the USA Today that, as with computers, future control of the mobile handset business would primarily depend on software influence rather than hardware. Apple’s insistence on attaching its code to a premium device could prevent it from getting any more than a small percentage of the world’s cellphone user base, Ballmer predicted.
“Would I trade 96% of the market for 4% of the market? I want to have products that appeal to everybody,” he said. “We’ll get a chance to go through this [Apple versus Microsoft debate] again in phones and music players. There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It’s a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I’d prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get.”
He also suggested that Apple might be creating too narrow a focus by stressing media playback on the iPhone instead of the possibilities of a general operating system such as Windows Mobile. The heavily-rumored Zune phone was again dismissed as impossible and against the company’s mobile product philosophy.
“We wouldn’t define our phone experience just by music. A phone is really a general purpose device,” he summarized. “You want to make telephone calls, you want to get and receive messages, text, e-mail, whatever your preference is.”
The iPod’s success in the world of strictly entertainment-oriented handhelds was downplayed. Apple “got out early” with a good mix of media player hardware and software, according to Ballmer, but there was still an opportunity for the Zune line to have its own success. Its sales campaign would be “less edgy” and appeal to more buyers, he said. The remark appeared to ignore the company’s existing campaigns, which have included Adult Swim and graffiti-themed limited runs of the player.
Microsoft currently holds a small but substantial portion of the cellphone OS business, which is currently dominated by variants on the open-source Symbian. The Zune’s share has largely remained locked at roughly 9 percent of the US hard disk-based media player market since its introduction in November 2006.
Have NICE DAY!!!
iJah420 says DENY DENY DENY all you want…. the numbers AAPL will post will speak VOLUMES!
October 7th, 2008 at 6:04 am
Apple Blows Chunks! says:
P.T. Barnum was right - There’s a sucker born every minute!!!
October 7th, 2008 at 6:20 am
What a Putz iJah420 is!!! says:
Written like a true Apple employee!!!!
October 7th, 2008 at 6:22 am
iJah420 says:
Apple Blows Chunks?
UH HUH.
Please go join your Monkey Boy Leader in his cage under the Big Top.
Sucker? Yeah OK.
MSFT has been turning out clowns like yourself since windows 3.1…
October 7th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Apple Blows Chunks! says:
iJah420 -
I don’t know where you got the idiotic idea that I said M$ was better than Apple - I wouldn’t touch a product from M$ either…
If you vote with your dollars (by choosing NOT to spend it with them), you do not condone nor support their crappy products, insanely poor “support” or ridiculous pricing…
…And Apple Blows Chunks, as well as anybody that supports their arrogance by buying their products!!!
October 7th, 2008 at 9:55 am
LZW says:
OK, there’s starting to be way to many Apple related stories on this blog! People may start to think Alice is in the tank for Apple. (Like they say the liberal media is in the tank for Obama.)
I still don’t own a cell phone so maybe I just don’t get it… The phone plugged into the wall jack seems to work just fine for me!
October 8th, 2008 at 6:28 pm