Near Field Communication and fingerprint technology may improve your iPhone 5 experience. (Photo : CultofMac)
Rumors about the iPhone 5 are at an all-time high. Almost every day it seems like some insider leaks photographs or device details. Truth is, Apple hasn't even announced the device, although it's a sure bet that they will soon given all the attention and the recent success of the Samsung Galaxy S3. One thing's for certain - the iPhone 5 will be a gold mine for Apple. According to Piper Jaffrey's analyst Gene Munster, 80 million iPhone 5 sales are already "in the bag."
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A survey of 400 consumers revealed just how dominant the Apple iPhone brand is in the smartphone market.
When asked about which phone they planned on purchasing, 65 percent said an Apple iPhone, 19 percent said a Google Android phone, and 2.5 percent said a Blackberry.
Of the 65 percent going to buy an iPhone, 51 percent of them said they were going to wait for the iPhone 5. iPhone users also valued their device $100 more than the actual subsidized market value of the smartphone.
According to Munster, the Apple iPhone alone accounts for over 50 percent of Apple's revenue, which makes the Apple's future, "largely reliant on the success of the iPhone."
He expects the iPhone 5 to be "the biggest consumer electronics product launch of 2012 as well as the biggest device upgrade cycle in smartphone history."
Even though sales of iPhones has slowed in the United States, the iPhone enjoys immense popularity in China, where Munster expects growth to continue.
The iPhone 5 is expected to sport a larger 4-inch screen, 4G LTE support, NFC capabilities, a quad-core processor, and Apple's upcoming iOS 6.
He also sees sales of the iPad accounting for two-thirds of all the tablet sales in 2012.
Apple should be extremely giddy after reading Munster's report, which only underscores the fact that if anyone wants to play in the smartphone and tablet market, they are going to have to compete with incredible brand loyalty and fanaticism.
Here's the survey:
