iPhone Loses Market Share, Now the RAZR of Smart Phones?

When I read these words I had to laugh. But the numbers are no laughing matter. Let’s start with the money quote first. Michael Morgan, an analyst at ABI research, told the Wall Street Journal today that “Apple could be running into a case of ‘Razr burn’. The reason for this harsh analogy? According to the firm, the iPhone 3G and 3GS accounted for 16.6 percent of smart phone sales in the fourth quarter, down from 18.1 percent in the third quarter.

So I guess the reasoning goes that 140,000+ apps and unparalleled ease of use aren’t enough to keep consumers excited anymore. Maybe buyers are growing tired of the familiar look and feel of the iPhone, even if it is iconic. Maybe they’re more excited by the Droid’s multitasking abilities, or the free turn-by-turn navigation, or the ability to customize their home screens with widgets. Hmmm. Maybe this analyst is onto something?

There’s no question that the iPhone 3GS was an evolutionary step for Apple, adding more speed and convenient features like a compass. But with Android gaining momentum, and with a 1-GHz processor now in Apple’s arsenal, I think it’s reasonable to expect that the next iPhone will be more of a leap forward.

What do you think? Is the iPhone getting boring? What do you want to see in the next version?