RIM? Never heard of them say 37% of BlackBerry users

While BlackBerry handsets still dominate US smartphone sales figures, new research from www.rightmobilephone.co.uk has revealed that BlackBerry owners are far less zealous in their love for the RIM brand than their Apple counterparts.

Of 1,024 BlackBerry owners quizzed, only 37% had heard of Research in Motion, the developers behind their beloved phones. A further 54% felt the new BlackBerry Torch handset was too similar to previous offerings, while 67% believed it would be no match for the iPhone 4.

Likewise, the rumoured BlackPad RIM tablet failed to spark interest among BlackBerry owners. 82% felt it wouldn’t gain as much attention as Apple’s iPad.

Speaking of the rivalry between RIM and Apple, Neil McHugh, co-founder of rightmobilephone.co.uk, said; “The two manufacturers have a very different target audience and, whilst the BlackBerry appeals to professionals and business types with its seamless e-mail, the iPhone can be enjoyed more by a wider audience thanks to the range of fun apps and features.”

He concluded, “To be honest, I was very shocked that more than a third of BlackBerry users failed to identify Research in Motion as the manufacturer of their handset. Everyone knows Apple, Nokia and Samsung, so perhaps it’s time RIM branched out to a wider audience.”