The iPhone has been on the shelf just three months, but its impact is clearly being felt by the major phone manufacturers, according to ChangeWave. Apple’s cell phone market share among the respondents (two percent) has increased by one percentage point since our last survey in July -- solid growth in line with previous expectations.

While Motorola (30 percent) still manages to maintain the top spot in terms of current market share, it has fallen one point since the July survey to its lowest level in more than a year. Samsung (15 percent) remains in second, unchanged from previously.

One of the most striking findings for Apple is the iPhone’s outstanding customer satisfaction rating. An impressive 82 percent of iPhone owners reported being "Very Satisfied" with their purchase, up five points since the previous ChangeWave survey in July and by far the highest rating of any manufacturer. The only other company with a rating above 50 percent is Research-in-Motion (RIM).

At the other end of the spectrum, Motorola was next to last among cellular manufacturers when it comes to customer satisfaction, with Sony/Ericsson at rock bottom.

When ChangeWave asked respondents about their planned future cell phone purchases, the iPhone marketplace transformation becomes fully apparent, according to the research firm. Once again, an astonishing 16 percent of respondents who plan to purchase a cell phone in the next six months say they’ll buy an iPhone, placing Apple at the top among all manufacturers. Moreover, while the number of European and Canadian respondents wasn’t large enough to draw final conclusions, the iPhone appears set for a stellar debut when it launches in the coming months in Europe and Canada.

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