Last week I wrote a post entitled “The iPod touch Effect”, or Why RIM Could Have Been a Contender… but Isn’t. In it I argued that even it Apple does not currently own the market they are positioned well for the long-term thanks to a little device known as the iPod touch. The Touch, I said, is now used by a huge number of kids who do not yet have a cell phone. Their love of the Touch, not to mention their having invested in apps and ringing up game scores, makes it more likely that they will go for an iPhone when the time comes for them to get a phone.
I wanted to see if my “theory” held any water so I turned to two ten-year olds who both have a touch and asked them the following,
If you were told that you could go get any phone you wanted tomorrow what would you get?”
I know this question is far from scientific. Two kids are not a reasonable sample for drawing any conclusion and the question was being asked by their “Apple-loving uncle”. Then again, my niece and nephew have parents who both have, and love, their BlackBerries. The kids SEE a BlackBerry used as the main smartphone in their home day in and day out so one MIGHT think it would be in the running. It wasn’t.
Here’s what my nephew wrote back-
I would probably get an iPhone because they are pretty easy to use the Internet on. Also I would probably get an iPhone because I find it pretty easy to type on by touching, and sending emails is also easy.
and here’s what my niece wrote
If I were about to get a cell phone I would pick an iPhone. I would get an iPhone because you can do everything on it that you can do with an iTouch. The only difference is there is a phone connected to an iPhone which is even better!!!
In other words having a Touch NOW increases the likelihood they will want an iPhone LATER. Which tells me that RIM is in even bigger trouble than many suspect and Google better get a Touch competitor on the market… and fast.