The latest smartphone sales data offers a fresh perspective on the scope of challenges facing Research In Motion Ltd.’s pending BlackBerry 10 platform in the world’s most important consumer electronics market.

BlackBerry’s share of U.S. sales tumbled 6.9 percentage points to 1.6 per cent over the three months ended Oct. 28 compared to the same period a year ago, research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said in a report Tuesday.

Apple Inc.’s iOS increased 26 points to 48.1 per cent on demand for the iPhone 5, which was released in late September and includes a bigger 4 inch screen and 4G/LTE capability, both of which appear to have had an impact on consumers.

The data halted a nine-day rally in shares of Waterloo-based RIM, which have gained more than 43 per cent in November on analyst upgrades and upbeat reviews of the BlackBerry 10 handsets, RIM’s first major smartphone refresh in two years.

Due for commercial rollout in early 2013 after two lengthy delays, the new BlackBerry phones offer RIM a chance to ease losses in the U.S., a market it once led and to establish BB10 as the world’s third most popular mobile device operating system, ahead of the just released Windows 8.

RIM shares were down 9.8 per cent to $10.87 (U.S.) near the close of trading in New York and have declined 17 per cent this year, while Apple was flat at $587. 12.

Along with data showing market share loss in the U.S., the shares were weighed down by a Morgan Stanley report warning that BB10 faces overwhelming odds.

“We continue to believe BB10 has a low chance of success,” Gelblum said. “While some of the new features on BB10 seem innovative, we had a similar reaction to Palm’s WebOS when we saw it at CES in ‘09.

“Ultimately we believe BB10 is too late, and subs continue to shift to competitive devices.” Morgan Stanley rates RIM at underweight with a price target of $7.

And in separate report Tuesday, research firm IDC predicted that Apple and Android devices will overtake BlackBerrys in enterprise use this year. It said businesses are buying iPhones “in droves,” while workers are increasingly bringing their Android handsets to the office.

“BlackBerry continues to be the gold standard for security,” but reduced consumer and developer interest hinder its prospects, IDC said.

The majority of U.S. iPhone 5 sales, meanwhile, have come from existing Apple owners upgrading to the new device, Kantar said, although Apple has also lured Android and BlackBerry users and some first time smartphone owners.

“Apple has always managed to maintain loyalty levels far above the competition, and this has clearly played a part in driving sales of its new device,” said Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar.

More than 90 per cent of existing Apple owners in the U.S. said they will choose an iPhone the next time they upgrade, he said.

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Apple’s rise in the U.S. has not been replicated across Europe where Android still leads, accounting for 73.9 per cent of sales in Germany and 81.7 per cent in Spain.

But Apple is slowing Android’s growth and is now enjoying share gains in four of the five major European countries with a particularly strong performance in Britain.