It seems the longer Apple goes without an iPhone update, the more hype that builds surrounding its next release.
The iPhone 5, widely expected to launch in October, could generate more interest and sales than its predecessor, the iPhone 4. That’s according to a new survey done by RBC Capital Markets, which found that nearly one in three (31 percent) respondents is either “very likely" or “somewhat likely" to buy an iPhone 5, according to BGR. That compares to 25 percent in last year’s survey who said they were likely to buy the iPhone 4.
There could be several reasons for the extra excitement this time around. Instead of the usual 12 months between devices, consumers have now waited almost 15 months since the release of the iPhone 4 – and it’s expected to be almost 16 months when all is said and done. That’s four extra months for the wheels of the hype machine to churn. Also, this is the first time that customers of more than one U.S. carrier will be able to buy the new iPhone at launch. Verizon Wireless didn’t break AT&T’s exclusive stranglehold on the smartphone until early 2011, months after the iPhone 4’s debut. And now that all signs point to an iPhone 5 for Sprint, America’s top 3 carriers will all be able to offer Apple's darling to their customers.
RBC’s survey finds that a remarkable two in three iPhone owners will ditch their old phone and replace it with the upgrade – pretty amazing when you consider the iPhone 5’s specs have remained closely guarded and aren’t anything more than rumor at this point. The investment firm predicts Apple will ship 27 million iPhones in the first quarter of its 2012 fiscal year (starting Oct. 2011) alone. The company also believes an iPhone for T-Mobile remains a possibility this fall, BGR said.
