ArsTechnica wrote up an interesting piece that examines the future plans, and loyalty, of BlackBerry owners. The article, which cites a Crowd Science survey, found that 2 out of every 5 BlackBerry users surveyed indicated having plans to switch out their BlackBerry for an iPhone when their service contracts expire. Ars goes onto cite some fun stats in the study:
■33% of iPhone owners and 16% of BlackBerry owners use their device exclusively for personal use, not work
■1% of iPhone owners and 7% of BlackBerry owners use their device exclusively for business purposes
■66% of iPhone owners and 77% of BlackBerry owners are using their device for both business and personal purposes
Is the 40% number accurate? We think it is probably a little high. A combination of Apple’s brand awareness and the iPhone advertising machine is likely responsible for some of the yay responses. But say the survey’s margin of error is +/-10; the fact that even 30% of RIM’s customer base is thinking of abandoning ship is bleak.
RIM’s title of communicator extraordinaire and business companion is unparalleled at the moment, but as users begin to demand a greater mix of work and personal uses from their phone, RIM may find itself in a tough spot. Oh, the study also mentioned… 90% of Android and iPhone owners plan to stay loyal to their respective device operating systems when the time comes to upgrade.
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