RIM Blackberry is the only smartphone that the Apple iPhone is yet to beat in the US. Powered with numerous models appealing to business users the Blackberry Curve and Pearl series were the only devices that surpassed the 3GS and 3G in Q2 2009 sales. However it, seems that the year ending might change that with the difference between the two narrowing down day by day.
Blackberry had a fantastic quarter ending November with 10.1 millions units selling compares tio 7.4 million iPhones sold. Currently the Apple gizmo is expected to cross the 10 million mark in the quarter ending December 2009. Given the pace at which iPhone is growing, coupled with the failure of Blackberry’s touch handsets Storm and Storm 2 to compete with the iPhone, Q1 2010 might well be a game changer.
In a bid to compete better with the Apple iPhone, RIM had launched its app platform to help Blackberry users get some quality apps from an official channel. While we did see some interesting apps, the 100000 strong iTunes app store is a challenge to crack. Things will certain become much more interesting in 2010 with a Verizon tie-up for iPhone being rumored along with the multitasking + 5MP camera on the iPhone 4G.
Update: Adding more fuel to iPhone vs Blackberry, there are rumors that Apple has sold 11 million iPhone’s in 2009 last quarter.
Calling Apple stock a “must-own technology bellwether,” Broadpoint.AmTech analyst Brian Marshall issued a research note to clients on Monday defending his well-above-consensus iPhone quarterly shipment estimates of 11.3 million units for the three-month period ending December. [Apple Insider].