Palm Pre Mindshare Second Only to iPhone: Study

A new study (.PDF) by market research firm Interpret has much better news for Palm than its latest financial report. In fact, the study states that in terms of mindshare, the Palm Pre is second only to the iPhone.

Mindshare is the development of consumer awareness or popularity. In its study, Interpret noted that "Palm has seemingly demonstrated that other brands can successfully launch smartphones that not only match the iPhone’s glow, but can stand alone in their own right" and that "consumers intending to purchase a smartphone no longer feel that the iPhone is the only player in the smartphone market."

Interpret identified the key drivers of smartphone purchasing decisions as perceptions that the device is, in order of ranking:

• Smart (intelligent, adept, 53%)
• Cool (hip, trendy, 48%)
• Productive (efficient, organized, 44%)

More info from the study:

• It appears the most highly publicized signature smartphones are no longer expected to simply accomplish advanced tasks, but they must also project three key attributes (those listed above)of their owners to others.

• Even though the Pre has not sold millions, its significant role in jumpstarting Palm’s revival has put the brand in a place to expand to different carriers—and increase its market share by developing similar handsets. Palm delivers a prime example for other vendors on how to market and position a phone to not just match the iPhone, but to establish a unique place for the handset to flourish on its own merits.

Anyone looking at Palm's Pixi announcement and thinking about the success they had with the Centro can see that Palm is aiming the Pixi at the same crowd. It will likely have the same price as the Centro did ($99) and, Palm obviously hopes, grab those people whose contracts are ending and might want a smart, cool, inexpensive (and productive) new smartphone.

Palm potentially could sell a boatload of these.