The NPD Group reports that 30 percent of U.S. consumers who
purchased Apple's new iPhone 3G from June
through August 2008 switched from other mobile carriers to join AT&T.
In comparison, just 23 percent of consumers, on average, switched carriers
between June and August 2008. Nearly half (47 percent) of new AT&T
iPhone customers that switched carriers switched from Verizon Wireless,
another 24 percent switched from T-Mobile, and 19 percent switched from
Sprint.
According to NPD's "iPhone
3G Report," before the launch of the iPhone
3G, iPhone sales represented 11 percent of the consumer market for
smartphones (January through May 2008); however, after the launch of
iPhone 3G, Apple commanded 17 percent of the smartphone market (January
through August 2008).
During
June through August 2008, the top four best-selling smartphones based on
unit-sales to consumers were as follows:
-
Apple iPhone 3G
-
RIM Blackberry Curve
-
RIM Blackberry Pearl
-
Palm Centro
The average price of a smartphone sold between June and August 2008 was
$174, down 26 percent from $236 during the same period last year. During
June through August 2008,
“The launch of the lower-priced iPhone 3G was
a boon to overall consumer smartphone sales,”
according to Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for The NPD
Group. “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.”
Methodology: The NPD Group compiles and analyzes mobile device sales
data based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer research
surveys each month. Surveys are based on a nationally balanced and
demographically-representative sample, and results are projected to
represent the entire population of U.S. consumers. Note: Sales figures
do not include corporate/enterprise mobile phone sales. For more
information about NPD’s offerings in this
business sector, visit http://wireless.npd.com.
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