RIM's BlackBerry Curve overtakes iPhone as best-selling handset in U.S.

Posted May 8th 2009 4:20PM by Brian White
Filed under: Competitive Strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL), Research in Motion (RIMM)

Although most cellphone hype these days is due to the ongoing popularity of Apple, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone, the exclusivity factor Apple has with AT&T, Inc. (NYSE: T) may be a possible hamper to sales. Well, that is, if Research in Motion, Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) BlackBerry sales have anything to say.

Rim's cadre of BlackBerries outsold the iPhone during the first quarter of 2009. In some ways, this is no surprise: the various BlackBerry models (Curve, Bold, Storm) are offered through almost every major U.S. wireless carrier there is. The iPhone is only available as a single model, sold through AT&T.

Add to that the fact many BlackBerry models are offered at little to no cost with a two-year contract, and there you have it: RIM and Apple are competing head-to-head more than any other wireless handset manufacturers as consumers continue snatching up smartphones instead of the entry-level freebie cellphone models that have prevailed for half a decade.

This is good news for RIM. The company still produces and sells one of the most popular smartphone franchises in existence and shows no signs of slowing down or capitulating to Apple's impressive iPhone market share in just the last two years. With Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows Mobile market share not even in the top five in Q1, RIM and Apple are leading the way right now -- in innovation and sales.

Tags: AAPL, Apple, BlackBerry Curve, BlackberryCurve, inthenews, iPhone, Research in Motion, ResearchInMotion, RIMM

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-08-2009 @ 6:10PM

RattyUK said...

"the exclusivity factor Apple has with AT&T, Inc. (NYSE: T) may be a possible hamper to sales. "

Actually I think the buy one get one free offer that has been running for the last four months had more to do with it. That and the fact that we're less than a month from a big Apple announcement, these things go in cycles.

5-08-2009 @ 8:48PM

Martin Hill said...

Also, when you look at the numbers from a platform perspective and include the iPod Touch, the other iPhone OS device Apple sells, you discover that Apple is indeed still ahead of RIM in marketshare.

It's not just about the phone anymore.

-Mart