iPhone vs. BlackBerry

Research analyst Brantley Thompson of Goldman Sachs expressed high approval of RIM's (Research In Motion's) BlackBerry portable gadget, while analyst David Bailey from the same firm expressed serious interest in Apple's iPhone. The analysts are upbeat about the respective devices, but RIM's co-chief executive Jim Balsillie said the iPhone simply marks another competitor's entry into the smartphone market. Goldman still holds Apple shares as a "conviction buy" based on the likely success of the iPhone in June, but simultaneously says that RIMM is "at an inflection point." Bailey says that even if the iPhone cannibalizes 25-50 percent of iPod sales, the device will add 6-7 percent to Apple sales between this year and next, according to SeekingAlpha.

Thompsan expects Apple shares to hit $102 because "the combination of strong near-term results as well as investors unlikely to exit the stock in the face of Apple's latest innovations is apt to keep estimates and the stock moving higher."

by MacNN Staff