[BB8100user]

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide

Slowing Demand

CIBC World Markets said demand for the iPhone has had a ``significant decline'' in the past 10 days and that Apple and AT&T may try to boost demand by increasing their marketing efforts.

``We have noticed decent inventories at stores, and thin demand at best,'' analyst Ittai Kidron wrote in a note. ``Among the stores we visited, most visitors were not looking at the device, and only a very small subset bought it.''

CIBC's Kidron also wrote that the iPhone, which he initially viewed as a negative for Research In Motion Ltd., the maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, may instead be a positive.

``The iPhone has significantly increased awareness for e- mail devices,'' Kidron wrote. That's ``positive mainly for RIM, the brand of choice for e-mail devices.''

Kidron, who is based in New York, rates Research In Motion at ``sector perform.'' He does not cover Apple.