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A new study may prove worrisome to RIM.  It revealed that the iPhone has now captured 30% of the market share for smartphones, a mere 10% less than RIM’s leading 40%.  Palm, which was once the industry leader, has seen its market share slip to just 6%.

What does this mean if you are in the market for a smartphone?  Not much.  While the iPhone is wildly popular, it’s still stuck with AT&T’s stranglehold and resulting network issues and it lacks the security features many businesses need.  The BlackBerry, although it has lost some of its market share to the iPhone, is still a wildly popular device in its own right.  (There’s a very good reason they are dubbed CrackBerries!)  Businesses still rely on it as a valuable tool and the company has begun to successfully enter the consumer market as well.

For consumers it still comes down to individual needs and overall value.  An iPhone isn’t much good to someone who lives in an area without good AT&T coverage, and the touchscreen and lack of a physical keyboard are a turn off to some.  A BlackBerry may not be a good fit for someone who doesn’t get a lot of emails or who is big into mobile web surfing or gaming.  Both the iPhone and the various BlackBerry devices are available for $200 or so with a 2 year contract, so do some research and let your needs and budget decide which is right for you.

Read [CNet]