iPhone more reliable than the competition

Apple's iPhone 3G appears to be the sturdiest smartphone on the market

A new study by independent warranty provider SquareTrade claims that the iPhone is a more reliable handset than similar devices from other manufacturers.

SquareTrade studied 15,000 smartphones over a 12-month period, and assessed them by the number of reported malfunctions.

The company found that the relatively immature iPhone had a 5.6 per cent malfunction rate, half that of the BlackBerry (11.9 per cent) and a third that of the Palm Treo (16.2 per cent).

Problems looked at in the study included failures in software and features, Bluetooth and other connections, camera and other accessories, and call and power issues.

SquareTrade said that touch-screen issues were the most frequently reported iPhone problem, while almost 25 per cent of iPhones were likely to fail because of accidents in the first two years of ownership. Apple's 2008 fourth quarter results show sales of almost 6.9 million iPhone 3G handsets, so that equals a lot of clumsy fingers.

Power-hungry users will take some solace from the fact that all three devices scored well on battery life. SquareTrade said that fewer than half a per cent of iPhone users, and roughly one per cent of BlackBerry and Treo users, reported a battery problem.