iPhone News Updated

Microsoft Will Pay You To Use An iPhone

This could be the best example of the growing power of Apple‘s iOS ecosystem: Apple rival Microsoft is paying iPhone users as part of its effort to compete with search rival Google.

That’s thanks to Gigwalk, a startup that offers smart phone users the opportunity to use their smart phone to tackle as many as 100,000 quick little tasks.

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Will iPhone 5 bring the perfect storm?

It’s a good question to ask now that ChangeWave claims that 46 percent of 4,163 consumers surveyed plan to buy iPhone within 90 days. Apple is expected to release iPhone 5 within that time period.

Earlier today, ChangeWave released the data, which reliability is somewhat skewed. “This survey focuses primarily on the North American smartphone market — with the sample being 89 percent U.S. respondents and 11 percent outside the US”, according to the analyst firm. Pardon my confusion, but when did the United States annex Canada and Mexico? Last I checked, North America wasn’t synonymous with the United States. It’s little details like this that in the past caused me to beat ChangeWave with its own data.

ChangeWave measures consumers’ buying intentions, which gives a snapshot into broader trends but unlikely into future sales. For example, in March, ChangeWave’s 90-day buying intention survey had 44 percent of consumers buying iPhone and 31 percent Android smartphones. But that’s not what actually happened. According to Nielsen, which measured March to May, 49 percent of new smartphone acquirers chose an Android handset, but only 31 percent iPhone. What people say and what they eventually do often differ. At best, surveys of this kind represent what people would like to do.

So take the new survey for what you will. I already can predict that the Apple Fanclub of bloggers and journalists will declare another victory for iPhone over Androids, which only 32 percent of respondents plan to buy within 90 days, according to ChangeWave. I tend to look at what people do (Nielsen’s findings) versus what they say they will (ChangeWave’s).

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