ChangeWave survey shows just how much Apple iPhone is changing the US wireless industry
By Will Park on Thursday, August 2nd, 2007 at 2:26 PM PST In AT&T, Announcements, Apple, Motorola, Nokia, Palm, RIM (Research in Motion), Research, Sony Ericsson, Verizon, iPhone, iPhone OS
We all know the iPhone is doing well. Almost everyone we talk to is incredibly pleased with their newly acquired gadget (we have heard complaints, but the pros seems to greatly outweigh the cons). So, it’s not really surprising to hear that the iPhone is changing the wireless game in the US. ChangeWave conducted a survey of 3,003 ChangeWave Alliance members to gauge just how well the iPhone was doing. The results are encouraging, if a little expected.
The iPhone is popping up on the market-share-meter with a full 1% of the wireless market. But, and this is where it gets really interesting, when the respondents were asked about their mobile phone purchases in the coming six months, 16% said they’d plunk down the necessary coin for an iPhone. That’s 16% of the wireless market – “catapulting Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) ahead of all other manufacturers.” In comparison, planned purchases of Motorola (NYSE: MOT) handsets declined to 14% (from 33% in October 2006). Future planned BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) purchases were up to 13% (from 10%).
And, corroborating “street reports” of iPhone satisfaction, ChangeWave found that an astounding 77% of iPhone owners were “Very Satisfied.” Research In Motion’s BlackBerry garnered a “Very Satisfied” rating from 50% of owners. However, Motorola (36%), Palm (NSDQ: PALM) (34%), and SonyEricsson (29%) owners didn’t hold their handsets in as high regard.
Another interesting finding shows that, since the iPhone’s release, 30% of ChangeWave Alliance members planned to switch to AT&T (NYSE: T) as their wireless carrier (up from 28%). In contrast, only 19% indicated that they would switch to Verizon (down from 22%), continuing the down-ward trend for the third consecutive survey. It should be noted that ChangeWave is pegging AT&T’s market share at 28% (up from 27%), with Verizon’s market share at 29% (down from 30%).
“There’s no doubt about it, consumers are embracing the iPhone. And judging by the numbers, they will continue embracing it,” said Tobin Smith, founder of ChangeWave Research and editor of ChangeWave Investing, in the press release. “The ascendance of the iPhone is going to be a game-changer for both cell phone manufacturers and cellular service providers.”
Find the survey results from ChangeWave here.
[Via: MacDailyNews]
The numbers are on the wall, and it looks like the iPhone will not only be a success, and be a game-changing influence on the industry, but will be another “successful leg in the Apple businesses”.
What should be feared by the status-quo wireless world,is not just the iPhone itself, but the larger implications. The resultant moves to unlock phones, make obsolete the cheap “subsidy phones”, the freeing of carrier-locked charges for music, video, web access, text messaging, IM and even phone charges…by the iPhones “sideloading” through iTunes and wifi capabilities.
Has anyone yet realized that one can buy an iPhone, cancel the ATT contract without penalty within 30 days, and still have the iPhone capabilities as iPod, web browser and (now) through VOIP on wireless…phone calls?
If Apple this fall releases an updated iPod with wifi, using BluEye (http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201002097), you can connect your existing cheap throwaway cellphone (if Bluetooth capable) and your carrier-of-choice into an integrated “Cheap man’s iPhone”. Then you can still have the iPod, Apple Display, Safari Web Experience, Video player…and your phone.
The possibilities and implications are unfolding at an incredible pace.