Last summer Over The Air reported that the vast majority of Americans get the free or el-cheap-o phone when they upgrade. Turns out the tide is changing. The word has gotten out that cell phones do more than call home to get the grocery list or gossip about you-know-who. You'll never guess which two advanced-phone makers are the winners here.ChangeWave performed a cell phone survey and polled over 4,000 people on their thoughts about cell phone manufacturers and network operators. The results should not surprise you. Many of those polled have given up on the freebie phones offered with new contracts and are opting for phones with a bit more firepower. In other words, they're looking at smartphones.. The two companies seeing the most interest from consumers? Research In Motion and, yes, you knew it was coming, Apple. Of those looking to buy a new cell phone in the next six months, 17% said they want an iPhone, and 15% said they wanted a BlackBerry. On top of this interest in future purchases, of those who already have purchased an iPhone, 72% said they were very satisfied, with 55% saying the same things about their BlackBerrys. That's where the good news ends, though.

Other firms don't rate so well. Palm sat at the bottom of consumer satisfaction, with Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung just ahead of Palm. Keep in mind, all three of these companies make smartphones, some of them popular, such as the Motorola Q9m, or the Samsung BlackJack. (Maybe they were among those returned by people this past holiday season?) People just aren't interested in phones from these firms.

We already know about Motorola's troubles, but what is it about products from Samsung and Sony Ericsson that aren't as appealing? Each makes advanced devices that are replete with browsers, media playback, high-quality cameras, and more. So is it the design? The perception? The usability? The study results don't elaborate.

Anyone care to venture a guess?