iPhone Inspired Carrier-Switching — Can G1 Do The Same?

Nearly a third of all iPhone 3G users switched carriers to get the new device this summer, some new research has found. A study by the NPD Group discovered 30 percent of all U.S. iPhone users made a move to AT&T because of the 3G phone.

So where’d they come from? A full 47 percent deflected from Verizon. T-Mobile accounted for 24 percent of the users, and Sprint took up 19.

The study also says the 3G phone has grown iPhone’s smartphone market share from 11 percent, before the new phone came out, to 17 percent now. While the iPhone dominated sales over the summer (followed by the RIM Blackberry Curve and RIM Blackberry Pearl during the period of June to August), it’s the second-best selling overall phone in America. Motorola’s RAZR V3 holds the top spot, according to NPD.

Think the Android G1 can inspire any measurable amount of carrier-switching when it comes out later this month? T-Mobile’s certainly hoping so. The company is shooting for sales of 400,000 to 500,000 devices in the remainder of 2008 alone. The G1 is set to become available October 22, with pricing starting at $179 with a two-year T-Mobile contract. (Data plans will run $25-$35 a month, and a separate T-Mobile voice plan is also required.)

T-Mobile, by the way, recently set up a G1 emulator where you could check out a simulation of the mobile software. Oddly, the URL now returns a “403 Forbidden” error. That can’t be a good sign.