A prominent industry analyst says there is “unprecedented” consumer demand for Apple’s next-gen iPhone.
To be sure, at least 31% of respondents polled during a recent survey confirmed they are likely to snap up the long-awaited handset.
According to Mike Abramsky of RBC/ChangeWave, pre-launch demand for the iPhone 5 exceeds that of the iPhone 4 – as a similar poll conducted back in 2010 determined that “only” 25% of respondents would buy Apple’s fourth-gen smartphone.
The current poll also determined that 13% of respondents were “very likely” to purchase an iPhone 5, while 18% said they were somewhat likely to do so.
As Abramsky notes, the arrival of the iPhone 5 heralds the start of a “significant” upgrade cycle. Therefore, approximately 66% of existing iPhone owners are very or somewhat likely to buy the latest iteration of the wildly popular handset.
Unsurprisingly, the survey also found strong demand for the iPhone 5 to be carried by both Sprint and T-Mobile, where over 50% of subscribers said they are significantly or somewhat more likely to buy the iPhone 5 if it is available at either of the above-mentioned carriers.
Abramsky currently projects that 2012 iPhone sales are likely to hit 110 million, up from 105 million, with 27 million handsets sold just in the first fiscal quarter of 2012.
[Via AppleInsider]
