iPhone vs BlackBerry - The Smart Phone Battle Heats Up

iPhone vs BlackBerry - The Smart Phone Battle Heats Up by Paul Carton

Last year, Apple (AAPL) upended the smart phone industry with the release of the iPhone. This year, some analysts wonder if the upcoming release of the Google (GOOG) Android operating system could shake up the industry as well.

No, according to a new ChangeWave survey of 3,597 consumers, which finds the battle for smart phone supremacy has transformed into a two-horse race between Research-in-Motion's (RIMM) BlackBerry and the Apple iPhone.

RIM dominates current smart phone sales among consumers, but the Apple iPhone shows tremendous momentum going forward. At the same time, Palm (PALM) and its Treo continue to struggle through extremely hard times.

RIM Rules Current Market, But Apple Is Gaining

RIM (42%; down 1-pt) maintains its towering lead in current smart phone market share, even as number two Palm (16%; down 2-pts) continues its two year losing streak. This was the seventh-consecutive ChangeWave survey in which Palm's market share has dropped.

Now within striking distance of Palm, the Apple iPhone (9%) continues to score exceptional growth in the smart phone market. Customer satisfaction ratings point out why. Smart Phone Reviews

If customer satisfaction is a good indicator of future growth, Apple occupies the sweet spot. An extraordinary four-in-five iPhone owners (79%) report they're Very Satisfied with their iPhone ' a significant lead over number two RIM (54%) and far ahead of all other major manufacturers.

We note that Palm (22%) again ranks at the bottom in terms of customer satisfaction.

Going Forward: iPhone Has Momentum Looking ahead, better than one-in-three (35%) respondents planning to purchase a smartphone in the next 90 days say they'll purchase an Apple iPhone ' a 12-point leap since the previous survey in January.

RIM (29%) comes in second ' down 3-points from previously, while Palm (3%) looks set to take yet another big hit, falling 5-points.

The Apple surge in planned buying is at least partially attributable to the recent flurry of announcements regarding the iPhone's Software Development Kit and its new 2.0 Operating System. A total of 10% of respondents say this new development has made them More Likely to buy an iPhone in the future.

Mobile OS - The Androids Are Coming?

We also asked respondents which mobile operating system they'd like to have on the phone they plan on buying. As expected, the consumer market is dominated by the popular RIM and Apple smartphone operating systems.

Note that the Google Android OS isn't being offered yet to the general public, and it's still too early to gauge its full impact. However, the survey sheds initial light on the smart phone market potential for the Android.

While just 2% of respondents say they're Very Likely to use the Android operating system, another 15% say they're Somewhat Likely.

"These numbers do show some consumer interest in the Android Operating System," says Tobin Smith, founder of ChangeWave Research and editor of ChangeWave Investing. "But based on the ultra-competitive battle between RIM and Apple, there's little likelihood of the Android gaining traction on either one's OS. They're sucking up all the oxygen in this market."

"The Android's potential niche appears to be with a handful of second tier smart phone players like HTC," he added

Another Two-Way War - But Among Service Providers

Beyond the RIM vs. Apple battle there is another two-sided war ' this time among cellular service providers ' with Verizon (VZ) (31%; up 1-pt) maintaining a slim lead over AT&T (T) (29%; up 1-pt) in current market share.

But over the next 90 days, AT&T (28%; up 3-pts) appears all set to get a boost based on Apple's recent well received announcements. As Apple planned buying increases, so does AT&T's because of their exclusive carrier agreement with Apple.

Going forward, Verizon (22%) registers a 1-pt uptick in planned buying. Later this month, we will release a follow-up ChangeWave report with additional insight on consumer likes and dislikes for the major smart phone manufacturers. You'll be able to access the report at the link immediately below.

For the latest ChangeWave news on technology trends and companies, visit: ChangeWave. The ChangeWave research network is composed of 15,000 highly qualified business and technology professionals. Members are surveyed on a range of topics, and the findings are converted into quantitative and qualitative reports.

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HTC Dream Review and Unlock

HTC Dream Review and Unlock

by Steve Barker

Aside from supporting third generation network HSDPA 2100, the T-Mobile G1 is also equipped with Google's open source and Android software. In case you do not know yet, Android software makes it possible for you to access several kinds of software and media downloads. The T-Mobile G1 boasts of a 3.2 inch TFT LCD flat screen, which supports HVGA resolution, and a full five row QWERTY keyboard. QWERTY helps professionals do office work more quickly. With its slide action screen, you can easily have access its QWERTY. T-Mobile G1 has a 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7210A processor for a smooth mobile solution. If you are looking for a phone that is very handy, then T-Mobile G1 is perfect choice. T-mobile G1 is a very slim handset measuring 117.7 mm by 55.7 by 17.1 mm. You can easily control T-MOBILE G1 using its track ball. Furthermore, one can easily operate its GPS navigation and Google maps because of G1's user friendly interface. T-Mobile G1 is equipped with a Lithium-ion battery with a capacity of approximately 1150 mAh. Talk time can last up to 406 minutes, for WCDMA, it is up to 350 minutes. When in standby mode, the T-Mobile G1 supports up to 402 hours for WCDMA and up to 319 hours for GSM. T-Mobile G1's memory is expandable with a microSD card. One of the things people love about T-Mobile G1 is its integrated digital camera that will enable you to capture and record each and every moment without having to bring a bulky digital camera. After your cam-whoring moments, you can easily transfer your most precious pictures, videos and data with T-Mobile G1's Bluetooth v2.0 with a 10 meter distance. Furthermore, T-Mobile G1's Wi-Fi can also be of convenience to those who always need to check their mails and then save important data using its 11 pin mini-USB 2.0. T-Mobile G1 is also one of the best phones for music lovers, with it you can listen to your favorite songs regardless of its format. Entertainment and functionality T-Mobile G1 provides is certainly no match for Apple's iPhone. Though iPhone looks better, G1 has the best features iPhone can only try to match. If you have a locked T-Mobile G1 and you want a T-Mobile G1 unlocker, all you have to do is look for a site where you can get an HTC Dream unlock code. Having a hard time unlocking T-Mobile G1? Unlock-now can give you the best solution to unlock T-Mobile G1 devices.

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Google Android Frequently Asked Questions

Google Android Frequently Asked Questions

by Jerry Haney

Despite all of the very interesting speculation over the last few months, Google said that they are not announcing a Gphone, However, they are announcing -- the Open Handset Alliance and Android -- is more significant and ambitious than a single phone. In fact, through the joint efforts of the members of the Open Handset Alliance, they hope Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities that we can't imagine today. Who is Launching the first Android based Mobile Phone? T-Mobile USA will debut the first mobile handset based on Google's Android operating system. Citing unnamed sources briefed on the operator's plans, the T-Mobile will launch the so-called HTC Dream in the fourth quarter, perhaps as early as October--the device, boasting an iPhone-like touch screen and slide-out keyboard, is the subject of a much-screened YouTube video What is Android & Open Handset Alliance (OHA)? Android is a software platform and operating system for mobile devices based on the Linux operating system and developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance.The Open Handset Alliance (OHA) is a business alliance of Google, HTC, Intel, Motorola, Qualcomm, Samsung, LG, T-Mobile, Nvidia and Wind River Systems to develop open standards for mobile devices. Pro's of Android Android holds the promise of unprecedented benefits for consumers, developers and manufacturers of mobile services and devices. Handset manufacturers and wireless operators will be free to customize Android in order to bring to market innovative new products faster and at a much lower cost. Developers will have complete access to handset capabilities and tools that will enable them to build more compelling and user-friendly services, bringing the Internet developer model to the mobile space. And consumers worldwide will have access to less expensive mobile devices that feature more compelling services, rich Internet applications and easier-to-use interfaces - ultimately creating a superior mobile experience. Does Google Android would change the mobile advertising market? How Google will really profit from Android, is still a mystery until today, the answer is certainly around advertising. The mobile advertising market is really booming. Android is a market development effort. Google understands the opportunity for its business model once the mobile internet takes off. Android addresses some of the ecosystem needs. In theory, the availability of a robust underlying software platform will reduce fragmentation for application developers, decrease cost and time to market for device manufacturers and spark a new wave of competition in device form factors that will deliver better user experience for mobile data. This will drive use of the mobile internet. The mobile ad market is already growing rapidly. If Android delivers an improved user experience, this will drive usage of the mobile internet. This will further accelerate the growing interest in reaching users on their mobile devices and will motivate more and more content providers to invest in mobile. User experience improvements will drive both supply of and demand for mobile advertising. Release of Android in the market. The retail release date of the HTC Dream hinges in large part on the device and the Android OS earning network standards certification from the Federal Communications Commission--execs from T-Mobile, Google and HTC all hope to officially announce the Dream in September or October in an effort to cash in on the lucrative holiday season. The Dream is expected to be the sole Android-based device released in the U.S. during the remainder of 2008. Expected other brands with Android Base Three other phones are also tipped to carry Android soon - the Sony Ericsson Z780, a high-end Samsung camera phone, and possibly the Motorola ZINE ZN5.

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