BlackBerry’s and iPhones are the major contenders in the smartphone market and ChangeWave Research is trying to figure out why they are liked and disliked. ChangeWave looked at the features users love and
hate about their iPhones and BlackBerrys as part of their March 2008
survey of 864 smartphone owners.iPhone users loved the Web/iPod functionality of the phone while BlackBerry users loved their push email. iPhone users hated EDGE speeds and BlackBerry users disliked their Internet browsing.
The Apple iPhone
By far the most lauded feature of the iPhone among owners is its
seamless integration of a Phone, iPod and Internet browser (36%). One respondent puts it, “The feature I use most is the iPod, but
it’s the integrated whole that makes it so much fun to use. “
Another respondent adds, “I love the iPhone. It is revolutionary. I
love being able to jump on the Internet, send email, get maps, weather
forecasts, instant message, and make phone calls.”
The second most popular feature is the iPhone’s touch screen interface, followed by its ease of use.
By an overwhelming margin
BlackBerry owners said the feature they liked most is the BlackBerry’s
exceptional access to email (56%).
BlackBerry owners also reported a few key dislikes, number one being
the speed and quality of its Internet browsing experience (13%). A
second major dislike was the size of the keypad (11%), with owners
complaining that the keys are too small and cause too many typing
errors. “The overlaid keyboard (two letters per key) and TrueType
feature make my BlackBerry slow to type messages without errors,” reported one respondent.
Who Is the Fairest of Them All According to ChangeWave?
The answer is clear - both Apple and RIM dominate the U.S. smart
phone industry and are in the process of overwhelming the competition, reports DhangeWave.
Each has a super-loyal cadre of users that fervently support their phone brand - and each has extraordinary room to grow.
Today, there are over a billion cell phones in the world, and our
ChangeWave surveys have picked up a seismic shift occurring among U.S.
consumers towards the high end smartphone market. In simplest terms,
that’s where the momentum lies.
And as consumers gravitate towards quality multidimensional cell
phones - i.e., smart phones - ChangeWave research shows both Apple and
Research In Motion are the big winners. In other words, just as the
Apple iPhone has captured the hearts and minds of its user base, so has
the RIM BlackBerry.
RIM BlackBerry: While the Apple iPhone boasts
some of the highest satisfaction rates in the ChangeWave
survey, the bottom line for RIM owners continues to be, “If it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it.” Respondent PAN18809 demonstrates RIM’s
extraordinary hold over business users when he writes, “My BlackBerry
enables one simple truth - work is something I do, not someplace I go.”
RIM’s enormous strength in our ChangeWave business user surveys (73%
market penetration) strongly suggests they’ll maintain momentum in
their core market going forward.
Apple iPhone: For all its momentum, there are still
some core issues iPhone owners want to have resolved - and first among
them is 3G capability. According to the survey, that’s the number one
feature iPhone owners want integrated into the next generation of the
iPhone (19%) - even more so than third-party software (18%), GPS
functionality (15%) or E-mail integration (10%).
The same holds true among respondents who say they are interested in
but haven’t yet purchased an iPhone. One-in-four say they are holding
out to wait for the next generation iPhone (14%) or for 3G network
compatibility (11%).
That’s great news for Apple - assuming that the next generation of the iPhone is 3G compatible. Stay tuned. We’ll know in June.
For the full report go to the ChangeWave blog.