According to a study by research group InMobi, 41% of smartphone users in the US, Canada and Mexico are willing to buy a smartphone they have never seen. Yesterday Apple announced its next iPhone event to take place this upcoming Tuesday, and everyone is eagerly awaiting what Apple has up its sleeve.
Apparently, enough people have faith in Apple to place their bets on a phone that hasn’t been announced yet. More than 50% of surveyed consumers in the US said that they plan to buy the iPhone 5 within the next 6 months.
1,086 users from an “even demographic split” gave interesting insight into customer expectations for the next gen iPhone. With Apple taking over a year to announce its fifth generation hardware, people are itching to get their hands on the latest toy from Cupertino.
Interestingly, the percentages dropped when consumers were asked about the iPhone 4S.
“But if Apple only issues a product update—a 4S version, so to speak—most of these would-be buyers will not materialize. It found that less than 12 percent of UK consumers would purchase the new handset in that case.”
Apple will be “draining” away customers from other smartphone platforms, according to the report. A staggering 55% of Blackberry users in the US plan on upgrading to the iPhone 5. 27% of Android users in the US plan on making the switch.
All eyes are on Apple next week. Stay tuned.
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
