Science

BlackBerry Users Casting Glances at iPhone, Android

Research In Motion may find that many of its customers are in motion, a survey of more than 1,000 smartphone users suggests. Asked about their next smartphone purchase, 39 percent of 159 RIM BlackBerry users told Crowd Science, an online research firm, that they "definitely or probably" want an Apple iPhone.

Another 34 percent said they would prefer a phone that uses Google's Android operating system. Combined with 38 percent who said they might consider Android, that makes a 72 percent opening for Android, narrowly beating the 68 percent opening for the iPhone.

Open To Nexus One

Asked if they would switch from their present handset to Google's Nexus One, which debuted in January, 32 percent of BlackBerry users said they would, compared to just nine percent of iPhone users. The poll did not ask users about Palm or Windows Mobile phones.

"These results show that the restlessness of BlackBerry users with their current brand hasn't just been driven by the allure of iPhone," said John Martin, CEO of Crowd Science, in a blog post. "Rather, BlackBerry as a brand just isn't garnering the loyalty seen with other mobile operating systems."

The largest share of BlackBerry users, however, 49 percent, chose the category "other smartphone," which could include another BlackBerry. (Because participants were allowed multiple selections, totals for each device add up to more than 100 percent.)

No Status Quo Option

The poll did not allow BlackBerry users to directly express satisfaction with their current model, which led Current Analysis consumer-devices research expert Avi Greengart to question its reliability.

"The survey doesn't ask BlackBerry owners if they would buy another BlackBerry, so its results are meaningless," said Greengart. "If you ask 'Which of the following things would you buy' and not include 'What you already have,' you will get, by design, high responses for whatever you present...
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New Google Feature Will Hunt for Products Nearby

You're standing on a street corner and remember that you need to pick up a video game for your sister's birthday. On your smartphone, you search Google and tap on the "in stock nearby" link next to the blue dots that show up for some of the search results. Google then shows you which local retailers have the game in stock.

That buying omniscience, where your mobile device can tell you whether what you want is nearby, was announced Thursday by the search giant.

iPhone, Palm, Android

The blue dots in the search results link to participating retailers, which currently include Best Buy, Sears, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm. The "in stock nearby" link connects to the seller's page, where the retailer near you notes whether the given item is "in stock" or has "limited availability." The distance from your current location is also indicated if you have enabled My Location or manually specified your location.

Google also has forms online so other retailers can become part of the program.

The U.S.-based functionality is available for an iPhone, a Palm webOS phone, or any device using the Android mobile operating system. After going to Google.com, the user clicks on the "more" link, and then "shopping," or, alternatively, looks for "shopping results" in the search results. Mobile product search with local inventory was first shown in December by Vic Gundotra, Google's vice president of engineering.

Andrew Frank, a research director at Gartner, noted that local-inventory product search is "part of a trend" where new functionality is coming about because the technical feasibility of various pieces have come together.

In this case, GPS, inventory feeds, and powerful mobile devices are combining with cloud-based search services to allow a user to find the nearest product in stock.

'Lot More Pressure' on Retailers

This kind of...
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