October 20, 2009
The data stems from uLocate's location-based services platform, called WHERE, which runs on Apple's iPhone, Research In Motion's BlackBerrys, Google's Android phones and Palm's Pre. On these handsets, WHERE functions as a portal to local data ranging from weather forecasts to restaurant reviews, movie listings, gas prices and Yellow Pages-type searches.Some of the distinctions may be attributable to age or socio-economic differences. ULocate says that iPhone and Android users tend to search for Wal-Mart while BlackBerry and Pre users favor Best Buy, a more expensive store. Dan Gilmartin, uLocate's vice president of marketing, says the data could point to BlackBerry and Pre users being slightly older than iPhone and Android users.Search results from BlackBerry users pointed toward a lifestyle of heavy travel during the week and movie-going on the weekends. The pattern fits the popular image of BlackBerry owners as busy road warriors who want to relax on their days off, says Gilmartin.