According to the latest smartphone sales figures, the BlackBerry is holding up just fine against Apple’s iPhone. In fact, in the face of the iPhone onslaught, BlackBerry is actually increasing their smartphone market share. For the first quarter 2008, the BlackBerry garnered 44.5% of smartphone sales, up from 35.1% in the previous quarter. The iPhone was second, with 19.2% of the market, declining from 26.7% from the previous quarter. Palm rounded out the top three, with 13.4% of smartphone sales, an increase from 7.9% in the previous quarter. The details are revealed in this InformationWeek article.
BlackBerry is working to expand its scope beyond just the enterprise to include everyday professional consumers, or “prosumers.” It appears their strategy may be paying off. They are introducing a series of new handsets, including the Bold, that appeal to working professionals. Those professionals may not care if their place of work supports BlackBerry or not. Part of the iPhone’s decline may be attributed to the anticipated release of a 3G version, which is rumored to be launched in mid June. Apple and AT&T are also just beginning an iPhone push into the enterprise market, which is BlackBerry’s historical strength. The real competitive comparison will begin once the iPhone’s 3G version is in play and it gains a foothold in the enterprise space.
