Portable Electronics Ltd // Technology you can carry.

According to The Nielsen Company’s monthly surveys of U.S. mobile consumers from July-September 2010, consumers planning on getting a new smartphone had a very clear preference: A third (33%) wanted an Apple iPhone. Slightly more than a quarter (26%) said they desired a device with the Google Android operating system (OS). And 13 percent said they wanted a RIM Blackberry.

Some 93 per cent of BlackBerry, 92 per cent of Apple and 90 per cent of Android mobile users in Australia are likely to stay with that operating system, compared to 70 per cent and 72 per cent for Windows and Symbian respectively.

Interest is already high for tablets; according to the survey, the intended ownership rate in Australia is 26 per cent, compared to 13 per cent globally and 31 per cent in ‘developed Asia', 20 per cent in the US and 17 per cent in the UK.

The survey points to the growing demand for Android, reporting almost 40 percent of respondents said they will switch to Android when they purchase their next phone, compared to the 18 percent who said they would like to switch to the iPhone.

Penetration

34% of smartphone owners have an Android device in their pockets versus 21% that own an iPhone. 17% uses Windows Mobile, 16% BlackBerry and 13% use Symbian devices. For most of the respondents, their current smartphone is their first (60%). In 39% of the cases, Android owners chose Android before starting their search for their new phone. They selected it for it’s usability. This is less under other operating systems.

A new study by leading customer intelligence firm Market Force Information shows that smartphones have hit the tipping point in 2011. The findings reveal that 51% of consumers already own smartphones and of those who don’t, 33% said they intend to purchase one in the next six months. By contrast, a negligible 6% said they plan to buy a cell phone without data capabilities.

When asked which smartphone they would purchase, 34% of survey respondents said Android, while only 21% said iPhone, and 12% said Blackberry. See Graph 1. About 25% were undecided.