Research shows iPhone and Android desire near-even

About as many smartphone buyers want an Android device as do iPhones, according to the latest unofficial ChangeWave metric. Plans to get an iPhone have cooled off after the iPhone 4 high in June, and in September about 38 percent wanted Apple's handset, down from exactly half three months earlier. Android interest simultaneously spiked, however, and now has almost as much interest at 37 percent, an all-time high for Google.

Other platforms had just a fraction of interest. The launch of the BlackBerry Torch barely had an effect, as RIM only moved one point to six percent.

Apple still had a more noticeable edge in satisfaction and moved back up to 74 percent who were "very satisfied" with iPhones, but Android satisfaction was much better and came close at 65 percent. RIM was also affected in the category as webOS edged it out with 32 percent highly satisfied despite having a much smaller presence.

The study isn't reflective of the whole market but does hint at Android interest being sustained even in the face of continuing iPhone 4 sellouts. Many of the most important Android smartphones of the year were arriving during the timeframe, including Motorola's Droid 2 and Droid X, Samsung's Galaxy S line and the HTC Evo 4G.

By Electronista Staff