Research in Motion Widens Smart Phone Lead; Palm Continues to Slide

Over the past year, our ChangeWave surveys have pointed to a changing of the guard in the smart phone industry – with Research In Motion (RIMM) surging to a commanding lead over arch rival Palm (PALM).

But now that the Apple iPhone’s hit the scene, what’s in store for these two industry leaders along with the rest of their smart phone competitors?

To find out, we turn to the results of a July 18-23 ChangeWave survey on consumer smart phone demand. A total of 3,003 Alliance members participated.

Research in Motion Strengthens its Industry Lead

Research in Motion (38%) has widened its lead as the undisputed king of the smart phone jungle, surging 5-pts and hitting a new all-time high.

Second place Palm (23%) has fallen six points since our previous survey in April to a new all time low.

Notably, Palm has now lost market share for four consecutive surveys.

Third place Motorola (MOT) (7%) finds itself down 1-pt since April and Samsung (5%) remains unchanged, while Nokia (NOK)(5%) has experienced a 2-pt uptick.

Who is the manufacturer of your current Smart Phone? (n=608)

Here’s another look at the divergent paths of RIM vs. Palm:

We note that the Apple (AAPL) iPhone – which debuted at the end of June – has hit the ground running, already capturing a 4% share among consumers who own smart phones.

Future Market Share

Going forward over the next 90 days, the story looks great for RIM and even worse for Palm.

Research in Motion (up 7-pts) is the clear momentum leader, registering a new all time high of 33% among planned purchasers. And in yet another downward sign for Palm, its share among planned buyers has slid 1-pt to a new all time low of 9%.

But perhaps the most important news of all is the momentum behind the Apple iPhone (18%), which places a strong second in the smart phone market going forward.

Who is the manufacturer of the Smart Phone you plan on buying?

Of course, it’s worth noting that Apple did appear even stronger in our previous survey in April (26%), but that was several months before the release of the iPhone – before consumers were able to review the product for themselves. Now that the iPhone is actually on the shelves, it’s close to astonishing that nearly one-in-five smart phone shoppers says they will buy one going forward.

In another important finding, despite the iPhone’s considerable strength, the momentum behind RIM’s Blackberry remains unaffected.

Rather, the big losers (besides the aforementioned Palm) are Motorola (5%; unchanged) and Samsung (4%; down 3-pts) – both of which find themselves mired at the bottom end of the tier.
Nokia (5%; up 2-pts), on the other hand, does show some signs of life going forward.

More on RIM’s Momentum

Interestingly, the number one reason given by those planning to buy a RIM phone was the “Influence of Their Employer”; while those who plan to buy Apple cited “Quality.”
As Alliance member CCH87512 puts it, “RIMM devices are the standard for my company. They allow for the delivery of secure email using our technology.” DOC44368 adds, “My employer encourages it with discounts and support.”

Back in our April survey, Alliance member POL83507 wrote, "Blackberry is the proven standard, and all users are trained and familiar with Blackberry. The iPhone will be seen as a trendy device and not a business tool. Perhaps in a year or two, that may change.”

The survey results show that loyal Blackberry owners are not being easily swayed by the iPhone media onslaught. While the iPhone’s entry into the smart phone market has added a new level of uncertainty to an already crowded field, the survey results show that, to date, RIM has largely shrugged the whole thing off. In fact it’s thriving – even as Motorola and Palm are feeling the pain.

In sum, while the iPhone’s impact on the Smart Phone market has yet play out over time, it’s the RIM Blackberry with its long history of high standards and loyal customers that has so far emerged unscathed.

Others appear to be in danger of dropping off the radar screen entirely.

The one thing you can be sure of midst all of these changes, is that it isn’t Steve Jobs or the rumor mills that are determining our findings. It’s the reaction of our 11,000 member ChangeWave Alliance to the actual products themselves.

Our worldwide radar system of ongoing consumer and corporate buying surveys, ensures that as soon as something new happens on the smart phone front, we’ll be able to report the facts as they occur – and do so weeks ahead of the Street.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article summarizes the results of a recent ChangeWave Alliance survey. The Alliance is a research network of 10,000 business, technology and medical professionals who spend their everyday lives working on the front line of technological change. For more info on the ChangeWave Alliance, or if you are interested in joining, please click here.

Comments

[pavlov]

neonode.com

great phone.