The momentum driving sales of Apple's iPhone shows no sign of slowing, and could actually make the device the number one seller in the US by next spring.
That's the conclusion of analysts at Strategy Analytics who say that the iPhone has already become the fourth best-selling handset in the US, with 1.35 million device sold so far.
"Although the iPhone hasn't had an expansionary impact in the market, the iPhone has quickly assumed a leading market share position and raised the ante for smart devices," Barry Gilbert, vice president for Strategy Analytics BuyerTrax programs, told Macworld.
Bad news for Motorola
"The sales trajectory we are observing with the iPhone could make it the top selling device in the US over the next 1-2 quarters."
The iPhone is expected to snatch the top spot from Motorola's RAZR V3 mobile, whose star is currently on the wane.
Macworld quotes a recent ChangeWave survey that said the iPhone's sales surge has largely come at Motorola's expense. Its handset sales have fallen markedly since the iPhone was introduced on Friday 29th July.
iPhone satisfaction high
The ChangeWave survey also shows that the Apple iPhone has the highest customer satisfaction levels of any mobile phone. Some 82 per cent of iPhone users reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the device, compared to 51 per cent for RIM which took second place. Handsets from Motorola and Sony Ericsson were the least satisfying to own, scoring just 33 per cent and 31 per cent respectively.
