The popularity of smartphones cannot be underestimated. Almost ubiquitous around the world, whether Apple, Android or Windows daily life is geared around sharing information, texting, tweeting and snapping pictures.
So could it be possible that their popularity is actually waning? That was the fear of manufacturers earlier this month when for the first time since they came on the market quarterly unit sales of smartphones dropped.
However it seems that the reason was the delay of the iPhone 4S, rather than a drop in enthusiasm amongst consumers Analysts say consumers were expecting a summer launch of the new iPhone product and therefore held off on buying a new smartphone.
Much of the anticipation and expectation centred around a new iPhone 5. Yet, expecting a game changer, or at least a device that had the potential to turn their heads, consumers slowed buying smartphones in the third quarter of the year, waiting to see what Apple would produce.
The revelation is great news for Apple, and despite concerns raised that the iPhone 4S does not quite match some of its Android counterparts in the market, like the Samsung Galaxy II for example.
It is a worrying blow for Android manufacturers and their new Android handsets launched over the same period, as these were seemingly not enough for consumers to buy on spec, as they waited to see whether a new Apple smartphone would be a better buy.
It does serve as a timely reminder that while Android now holds the upper hand in the smartphone OS stakes, when it comes to individual handsets nothing comes close to the market-altering power the iPhone commands.
Indeed the success of the iPhone 4S in just its first weekend have proved it to be the most popular smartphone yet. Over four million sales were made in just the first few days, breaking the record set after the launch of the iPhone 4.
Across the globe, queues and registers of interest have showed that, despite falling off in terms of the competition and the standard laid by other Android devices, there is still staggering demand for a new Apple product.
One of the manufacturers hit most severely by the popularity of the iPhone 4S is RIM. News suggests BlackBerry smartphone users, instead of purchasing more BlackBerry phone deals, are turning to Apple.
Tech analysts suggest that moving from BlackBerry to Apple makes an easier transition as the Android operating system can be confusing for someone who has not used it before.
Others had suggested Apple directly targeted BlackBerry users, launching features like iMessage on the iPhone 4S in direct competition with the hugely sought after BlackBerry Messenger.
The international outage at BlackBerry which affected users earlier this month caused a lot of anger and frustration, which could have led some, coming to the end of their contracts, to decide to look elsewhere.
Apple might have worried that their devices were not as popular as they might once have been, with the widespread criticism leveled at the iPhone 4 over the antenna and the increased demand for Android devices which has increased in 2011.
However the success of iPhone 4S contracts should put their mind at ease. It might not be as good as some other smartphones on the market, and it may have to contend with a new Android operating system before Christmas, but Apple still commands tremendous sway in the marketplace.
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