A new survey suggests that Apple may have sold its iPhone 5 to more than a third of smartphone 
consumers before the device is even announced, let alone on the market. The computer giant is widely believed to have an iPhone refresh up its sleeve for this fall, and the survey suggests a large share of consumers are holding off upgrades or new purchases until then.
PriceGrabber's online poll of 2,852 consumers found 35 percent are planning to grab a new iPhone, with 52 percent of them indicating they'll buy it within the first year of release; 30 percent plan to get one by the end of 2011; and 14 percent hope to buy it within the first month. Seven percent will wait online to buy it within the first week.
Strong Following
The survey was conducted between July 1 and 11. Then, as now, there was no word from Apple that a new iPhone is coming, though the company has released one every summer since 2007, usually in June. A variety of factors, likely including component shortages and the introduction of an iPhone 4 for Verizon Wireless in February, postponed this year's refresh.
"Our survey data confirms the strong following Apple has built around its iPhone, with more than one-third of consumers planning to upgrade to the latest model only a little over a year following the release of the iPhone 4," said Graham Jones, general manager of PriceGrabber, a division of credit-monitoring agency Experian. "Anticipation and brand loyalty are certainly high, but in today's 24/7 work culture and uncertain economic environment, consumers are cautious to look for a reasonably priced phone that will perform optimally over an extended time period."
Fans of the iPhone often cite the user experience, enhanced by hundreds of thousands of available apps. But the survey found that a majority who plan to get the phone, 59 percent, also believe it has a longer battery life.
Fifty-five percent are looking for a cost reduction in their next device (the lowest-priced 8GB iPhone is $199.) Forty-six percent said 4G data speed is important, while 45 percent are hoping for a bigger screen and 42 percent want an improved camera.
Better Battery Life?
Apple's iOS, due for an upgrade this fall and used in iPads and iPod touch devices as well as iPhones, also scored high in the survey, getting thumbs-up from 48 percent of survey respondents, compared with just 19 percent who prefer Google's Android OS, seven percent who favor Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 or earlier mobile systems, and six percent who like Research In Motion's BlackBerry OS. (continued...)
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