Sure, the iPhone is the 4th top selling phone in the US, but with 82% customer satisfaction, could that number hit 1? 82% customer satisfaction for the iPhone, that’s a full 31 points higher than the next closest competitor, RIM, the maker of the BlackBerry handsets.

Furthermore, 16% of the people planning on buying a new mobile phone, are looking to the iPhone, that puts Apple at the top of that chart as well. Even AT&T is making off like a bandit posting significant market share increases.

Apple as a company might be able to retire once they finish opening up the rest of the world to iPhone sales, and then release a 3G version. Luckily for the other cellular companies the amount of affect the iPhone is having on the carrier wars is lessening, so now, before they do launch a 3G version, would be a good time to drop a great handset and get ahead of the game while you have a chance.

Survey: iPhone taking bit out of other handsets [via arstechnica]