iPhone Vs. BlackBerry

Apple may have found an easy target in PCs, but with the introduction of the iPhone at the end of June, it is going up against a different kind of competitor: Waterloo's Research In Motion, and its ubiquitous BlackBerry phone.

Playing the “hip” card may not take Apple so far this time: RIM users are fiercely loyal, and not as likely to be out-cooled by some hipster in the perfect hoodie.

There's plenty at stake, with more than 1.1 billion cellphones introduced to the market each year. There are currently an estimated three billion subscribers using the devices around the world. With regular cellphones, users are charged for the amount of time they spend talking. With smart phones, carriers are able to charge for much more, such as music and video downloads and text messaging.