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Four out of 10 smartphone users would switch to Apple‘s iPhone as their next device, according to a survey conducted by research company Crowd Science. By contrast, only 14 percent of those users would switch to a BlackBerry as their next phone, Crowd Science reported June 23.
The online survey-the sample size was not mentioned in the final report-also found that about 82 percent of iPhone users were loyal to the iPhone brand. About 97 percent of iPhone users interviewed for the survey said they would “probably/definitely” recommend the iPhone to someone else.
“These results reflect the great challenges BlackBerry faces in stemming the iPhone stampede,” John Martin, CEO of Crowd Science, said in a statement. “In the days ahead, we’ll lean on our research platform and continue to gauge the mind-set of smartphone users and address the changing mobile landscape, including the Palm Pre, the iPhone 3G S and other up-to-the-minute developments.”
The survey also found that about 71 percent of smartphone users rely on their devices in both their personal and business lives; a mere 3 percent utilize them strictly for business.
Data collection for the survey occurred from May 19 to June 8, and utilized random probability sampling; respondents had to be 14 years of age or older.
Apple sold more than 1 million iPhone 3G S smartphones in the device’s first three days of availability, adding to the 40 million iPhone OS devices already in circulation. Analysts had predicted sales of 500,000 devices, roughly half of the iPhone 3G’s sales in 2008 when it was introduced in 21 countries.
Apple also reported that about 6 million users had downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 software within the first five days of release. The iPhone OS 3.0, which includes over 100 new features, also features an updated SDK (software development kit) for developers looking to design the next generation of iPhone Apps.
“Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning,” Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, said in a statement released on June 22, and seemingly tailor-made to send executives at Research In Motion and Palm into an irate froth. “With over 50,000 applications available from Apple’s revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever.”
Having been absent for months on medical leave, Jobs has reportedly been seen in recent days at Apple’s Cupertino campus. A Wall Street Journal article on June 20 suggested that Jobs had undergone a liver transplant in Tennessee two months ago, and would be back at work full-time by the end of June.