CHART OF THE DAY: iPhone 'Surprisingly Popular' For Business

"Goldman Sachs is increasing its smartphone forecast based on a consumer survey that reveals Research in Motion and Apple are the runaway winners in the field, but for vastly different reasons. RIM enjoys enterprise sponsorship, but iPhone’s stealth business use campaign is working.

The survey in many respects confirms what anyone on an East Coast to West Coast knows. There are BlackBerry people and iPhone people and not much in between.


Generally speaking, Goldman Sach’s survey of 300 high-end smartphone consumers found that iPhone garners more loyalty and satisfaction, but not enough to take a lot of market share from RIM. There’s interest in Palm and Motorola is a no-show thus far.

The other tea leaves in the survey indicate that smartphone loyalty is higher than carriers. However, network quality is a big concern.

Add it up and Goldman Sachs sees smartphone units growing 12 percent in 2010, 22 percent in 2011 and 29 percent in 2012.

Among the key findings:


Of the 300 consumers surveyed, 57 percent of them owned a BlackBerry (25 percent purchased with 32 percent enjoying an employer subsidy). Twenty-eight percent of respondents that didn’t own a smartphone said they were inclined to go with a BlackBerry. Overall, enterprise spending and BlackBerry employer subsidies will boost RIM for some time to come.
Subsidies matter. Seventy-one of respondents said that their companies subsidized their BlackBerries. The comparable tally for the iPhone was 45 percent. Companies are introducing the BlackBerry to consumers. Employees are introducing the iPhone to their employers.
Apple has good news and bad news, but most of it is very positive. Goldman found that three-fourths of current iPhone users plan on staying with Apple. And half of those expecting to upgrade to a smartphone are leaning toward the iPhone. On the downside, connections are the biggest complaint about the iPhone.
Consumers rate carrier choice as the least important aspect of their smartphone. Add it the connection complaints and Goldman Sachs reckons that tiered pricing for data services is coming.
iPhone is being used for business. This chart tells the tale. Simply put, smartphones are used for personal and business use. The difference between BlackBerry and the iPhone appears to be this: Corporations issue BlackBerries that are ultimately used for personal reasons. iPhones are bought for personal reasons first and then wind up for business use." Link

It is no surprise the trending for both BB and Iphone will converge at a point where both phones serves enterprise and consumer market.

The only question is .. what happen after then? who will prevail?

that's the very interesting topic...

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Originally Posted by Entertainment72

iPhone�s stealth business use campaign is working.

I read recently that iPhone's overall penetration is 2 percent. It would appear that there is still a lot of ground to cover out there before Apple threatens RIM.

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Originally Posted by berryite

I read recently that iPhone's overall penetration is 2 percent. It would appear that there is still a lot of ground to cover out there before Apple threatens RIM.

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Yes, I read that also. I dont think RIM has anything to worry about right now. When government agencies start lining up to get the iPhone than maybe id worry a little, but that wont happen anytime soon.

RIM is in no immediate danger, they still have mindshare and a BB still does pretty much whatever you need. It would take several years and some pretty innovative updates for Apple to catch up. They also need a new carrier, some of my customers won't go near AT&T.

Originally Posted by armedtank

RIM is in no immediate danger, they still have mindshare and a BB still does pretty much whatever you need. It would take several years and some pretty innovative updates for Apple to catch up. They also need a new carrier, some of my customers won't go near AT&T.

I love Apple but totally agree with your assessment.

iPhone PIN: drop

Wow people are using the iPhone for business use?!

It's good to see more mention of the iPhone in the business world. Some people are going to have to get use to it.

Originally Posted by armedtank

RIM is in no immediate danger, they still have mindshare and a BB still does pretty much whatever you need. It would take several years and some pretty innovative updates for Apple to catch up. They also need a new carrier, some of my customers won't go near AT&T.

All they need is true enterprise security and a qwerty keyboard would be nice.

Even as it stands now, RIM is in a LOT of immediate danger. That said, the gov't sector is safely in Blackberry territory for a long time.

Originally Posted by armedtank

RIM is in no immediate danger, they still have mindshare and a BB still does pretty much whatever you need. It would take several years and some pretty innovative updates for Apple to catch up. They also need a new carrier, some of my customers won't go near AT&T.

I would have to say that it's slightly ironic that Apple's exclusive deal with AT&T is what's keeping the adoption to a trickle right now.

I too think that most companies would rather go with greater national coverage and a somewhat slower speed, than faster speed and smaller national coverage.

The only thing the iPhone has going for it carrier-wise is that GSM is more "worldly" than CMDA. It would need to become a dual-radio smartphone to be international business-ready when it shows up on Verizon.

I really don't think it has to do with VZW vs. ATT.. this site cracks me up. In all honestly, here where I live in Florida and people that I know travel actually tell me they have better coverage with AT&T, it cracks me up to no end.
I had a co-employee just drive to upstate NY to her cabin.. she was with VZW. ALL her friends have VZW for the most part and told her she would regret it. Of course they say this even though they have to walk to the end of the road to get a signal with VZW. So she bites the bullet and buys the 3GS.. guess what.. signal in the cabin..

In the end I am thoroughly convinced it has little to do with coverage in the corporate world.. as AT&T is solid in that aspect.

Other than a 5 mile stretch in the middle of Florida where Obi-Wan Kenobi lives.. I have never lost coverage during my travels and throughout Florida with AT&T. I think the whole VZW coverage thing is a myth.

If VZW has the iPhone exclusively I think they may even have bigger problems than ATT only due to VZW doesn't even allow WiFi.. back then.. not sure now.. so the iPhone would have heavily depended on VZW moreso whereas ATT's bandwidth is helped by WiFi.

Originally Posted by Entertainment72

I really don't think it has to do with VZW vs. ATT.. this site cracks me up. In all honestly, here where I live in Florida and people that I know travel actually tell me they have better coverage with AT&T, it cracks me up to no end.
I had a co-employee just drive to upstate NY to her cabin.. she was with VZW. ALL her friends have VZW for the most part and told her she would regret it. Of course they say this even though they have to walk to the end of the road to get a signal with VZW. So she bites the bullet and buys the 3GS.. guess what.. signal in the cabin..

In the end I am thoroughly convinced it has little to do with coverage in the corporate world.. as AT&T is solid in that aspect.

Other than a 5 mile stretch in the middle of Florida where Obi-Wan Kenobi lives.. I have never lost coverage during my travels and throughout Florida with AT&T. I think the whole VZW coverage thing is a myth.

If VZW has the iPhone exclusively I think they may even have bigger problems than ATT only due to VZW doesn't even allow WiFi.. back then.. not sure now.. so the iPhone would have heavily depended on VZW moreso whereas ATT's bandwidth is helped by WiFi.

I have worked with quite a few Fortune 500s and it boils down to subsidies, device management and coverage. Any large company is going to get a subsidy from one of the carriers to be their supplier. AT&T, Sprint and VZW all do this, you wouldn't believe what my company pays for my service, it would make you mad for sure. This is probably the number 1 thing.

Coverage is definitely a close second. I travel quite a bit, almost every week, but there are guys who hit 3 to 5 cities in a week. Connectivity is their number one concern, they must pick the carrier that will give them the best chance of being connected wherever they go, right now that carrier is VZW hands down. Your customers or superiors don't care what phone you pick, but you better not miss that important call and you definitely better respond to that email in a timely fashion, your only excuse is being in the air. Once WIFI hits every major flight, that won't be an excuse either.

The last concern once a carrier has been chosen is device management, how much control over confidential data does an admin have if a phone is lost, stolen or somehow compomised.

Not surprised bt this poll in the least bit. Look at the apps for the i phone and the amount they cost consumers. They have many productive applications. And as the touch screen gets better you will see more people leaning toward devices for productive purposes

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One thing that I found as it relates to a small business is a BB is a much more expensive proposition... I use a hosted exchange server. With my iPhone, that's it, I point the phone at it and it syncs all of my data (contacts, calendar and mail) via push. I don't need the Enterprise (reads "rip off") data plan. If I were to use a BB, not only would I have to pay an extra $10 per month to the hosted exchange server folks, but I'd also have to cough up another $15 per month to AT&T for a BES plan.