More than one in three US consumers want to buy the forthcoming iPhone 5, which is expected to be released in early September, according to a new survey released on July 27. The signs of strong demand will be welcomed at Apple in light of a market research report that shows Korean electronics giant Samsung fast encroaching on Apple's smartphone sales figures.
According to research company Strategy Analytics, Samsung is estimated to have sold between 18 million and 21 million smartphones in the April-June quarter, compared with 20.3 million iPhones and 16.7 million Nokia smartphones. The report said that Samsung's sales have received a strong boost from the introduction of its Galaxy S II device, which is proving a strong competitor to the iPhone. The phone has sold 5 million units in just 85 days, according to Samsung, despite not being available in the US.
"Samsung's Android portfolio is selling strongly in most regions," said Strategy Analytics. "Samsung stands a reasonable chance of capturing the top spot on a quarterly basis if it can continue expanding its Android portfolio across high-growth markets like China and Brazil. Samsung and Apple will be at similar levels in smartphones by the end of the year."
The iPhone survey by Pricegrabber.com found strong levels of demand for the iPhone 5, even among consumers who only recently bought an iPhone 4. "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," Pricegrabber general manager Graham Jones said. Pricegrabber's survey was conducted among 2,852 online consumers.
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