Survey: iPhone already impacting cellular

The release of the iPhone is already beginning to skew the demographics of the cellphone industry, just a little over a month after its release, according to a ChangeWave survey. The group found that of those surveyed, the iPhone by itself had taken a one percent market share, and it was the cellphone of choice for 16 percent of those planning to buy within the next six months. This figure is said to be higher than for any other manufacturer; the same can be said for customer satisfaction, with 77 percent of iPhone owners saying they were "Very Satisfied" with their purchase. By comparison, only 50 percent of RIM Blackberry owners had the same answer.

Cellular networks are themselves beginning to show signs of iPhone impact. While Verizon market share has dropped for the first time in over a year, to 29 percent, iPhone carrier AT&T's share has risen to an all-time peak of 28 percent. Similarly, 30 percent of those planning to switch carriers within six months have chosen AT&T, while Verizon interest has continued to slide to 19 percent. T-Mobile is down to five percent, while Sprint has fallen to three.

AT&T does not rank as highly in terms of network satisfaction, however. Verizon leads in this area at a 46 percent rate of "Very Satisfied" responses, versus AT&T's distant 31 percent. But given trends since the iPhone's announcement in January, ChangeWave is arguing that the overall momentum is in Apple and AT&T's favor.

Filed under: Apple