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Apple iPhone 4 toppled by HTC Desire

Apple iPhone 4 slips down the rankings as UK consumers desire the HTC Desire...
Written by Shelley Portet, Contributor

Apple iPhone 4 slips down the rankings as UK consumers desire the HTC Desire...

Apple's iPhone 4 is no longer in the UK's top five list of favourite smartphones, according to mobile comparison service uSwitch.

The iPhone was ranked sixth by uSwitch which compiled the list based on live searches and sales, dropping three places since January. In contrast, HTC smartphones held the top three spots with the HTC Desire ranked as the UK's number one smartphone.

The Desire has attracted consumers by giving access to thousands of apps as well as providing clever features, such as allowing users to silence calls by turning the phone over, according to uSwitch.

HTC smartphones top three favourite smartphones, pushing Apple iPhone into sixth position

HTC smartphones take the top three spots in the UK's favourite smartphone rankings, pushing Apple's iPhone into sixth position
Photo: HTC/Apple

The Blackberry Curve and Samsung Galaxy S also came out ahead of the iPhone, holding fourth and fifth position respectively.

Google will see these rankings as a sign that it is pulling ahead in the smartphone OS race, with half of smartphones in the top 10 using the Android operating system.

uSwitch technology expert Ernest Doku said price could be a factor in Apple's relatively low ranking, with iPhone 4 tariffs starting at about £30 - plus the initial cost of the handset at more than £100. "With over 800,000 deals currently giving away a smartphone for free, it's easy to see how consumers are being lured away from the iPhone," he said in a statement.

Part of HTC's success in smartphone sales lies in the spread of devices on offer, according to Doku: "HTC has outsmarted the smartphone market by customising its handsets at a range of price points - as seen by the Wildfire acting as an aspirational Desire."

However, Doku also added that "with just a couple of months until Apple is expected to give details of its next offering, it's almost a dead cert that they will soon lead the way again in the race for smartphone dominance".

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