NZ BlackBerry sales fall off a cliff; iPhone surge

By Chris Keall | Friday January 30 2009 - 04:09pm

IDC's latest smartphone tracking survey, for the third quarter of 2008, records a dramatic fall in New Zealand sales of RIM BlackBerries, while Apple's 3G iPhone smashed records.

For July to September, IDC tracked 2500 BlackBerries sold onto Telecom and Vodafone's networks, down from 11,600 in the previous quarter.

By contrast, Apple's 3G iPhone, specific to Vodafone, clocked a massive 19,200 sales in its debut appearance in IDC's survey. A Vodafone insider describes the result as easily the telco's best for any smartphone.

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T-Mobile Q4 Growth Tumbles Despite Google Phone (GOOG)

from Silicon Alley Insider by Dan Frommer

T-Mobile says Q4 subscriber growth slowed despite an exclusive on the G1, Google's (GOOG) first Android-powered phone. T-Mobile signed up 621,000 net new subscribers during Q4, down more than one-third from Q4 2007, when it signed up 951,000 net subscribers.

T-Mobile didn't disclose G1 sales, but said 40% of the phones it sold in Q4 -- to existing and new customers -- were smartphones.

That's good for its average monthly revenue -- smartphone customers are often required to sign up for Internet service plans. But it looks like the G1 hasn't been as strong for T-Mobile as Apple's (AAPL) iPhone has been for AT&T (T), or RIM's (RIMM) BlackBerry Storm for Verizon (VZ).

Morgan Stanley estimates T-Mobile sold 300,000 G1s during Q4.