'CrackBerry' no more: Most BlackBerry users want an iPhone or Android

RIM's smartphone dominance may be in jeopardy if BlackBerry OS 6 doesn't wow

The reputed addiction to the BlackBerry -- aka the CrackBerry -- has become an easy habit to kick, apparently. Now it's iPhone users who might require a 12-step program if they want to put their mobile-device habit behind them.

Among iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry owners, the CrackBerry crowd is most likely to move to a different mobile platform when the time comes for a new smartphone, according to research released by Nielsen Wire. That may be disheartening news for RIM, which is expected to unveil its much-anticipated BlackBerry Torch 9800 today running the long-overdue BlackBerry OS 6.

[ InfoWorld's Galen Gruman pits Apple's iOS against Google's Android OS 2.2. | iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android? Whatever handheld you use or manage, turn to InfoWorld.com for the latest developments. Subscribe to InfoWorld's Mobilize newsletter today. ]

Among 1,067 surveyed BlackBerry users, only 42 percent said they wanted to stick with the RIM platform. The majority want to go elsewhere: 29 percent have their eye on the iPhone, and 21 percent are drawn to the Android.

By comparison, it's clear that iPhone users are iPhone addicts: 89 percent of the 867 surveyed iPhone users said they planned to replace their current iPhone with another one when it's time to get a new smartphone. Of iPhone users, just 6 percent said they'd adopt an Android next, and a measly 2 percent want to sample the BlackBerry.

Finally, 71 percent of the 225 Android users said they'd remain loyal to the Google OS when it came time to get a new smartphone, while 21 percent said they planned to switch to Team iPhone. Just 3 percent had an eye on the BlackBerry.