35% of US consumers want to buy an iPhone 5

A staggering survey has found that more than one-third of the US actually plans on buying Apple’s next iPhone.

Every new version of the iPhone ends up being the most popular handset on the market, and even though there have only been a few different smartphones released from Apple, the iOS operating system remains one of the most popular around the world.

So it comes as no surprise to suggest the iPhone 5 will sell like gangbusters. But Pricegrabber, which conducted the survey, shows an almost unimaginable result.

“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 Pricegrabber general manager Graham Jones.

The survey was conducted among 2,852 online consumers. Of course, just because someone clicks a button online and says he or she is going to buy an iPhone 5, that hardly means it’ll actually happen.

But it does make us think back to the days when Apple first entered the mobile market, and there was doubt on whether or not it would even be able to capture a 1% market share of the hugely crowded space.

Of course, Android remains, by far, the most popular mobile operating system, but because there are so many great Android phones, it’s tough for a single one to really stick out. Windows Phone also stands a chance to make a dent in the iPhone market once the Nokia partnership comes through.