SAD LOVE QUOTES: More than a third of people plan to buy an iPhone 5... despite not knowing what features it will have

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

More than a third of people plan to buy an iPhone 5... despite not knowing what features it will have

Last updated at 4:30 PM on 27th July 2011

More than a third of consumers are planning to buy the iPhone 5 even though a release date has not yet been announced.

The Apple smartphone is thought to be coming out in the U.S. in September, with an international release the following month.

And despite having no idea what features the iPhone 5 will or will not have, a staggering 35 per cent of people plan to buy it anyway, according to a survey.

Apple boss Steve Jobs launches the iPhone 4 in June 2010

Of these, 51 per cent said they will buy the smartphone within a year of its release; 30 per cent before the end of the year; 14 per cent within the first month; and 7 per cent in the first week.

The study of 2,852 U.S. consumers was carried out by PriceGrabber, a part of credit check company Experian.

Researchers found that 59 per cent of respondents want a better battery life, and 55 per cent are looking for cost reduction.

iPHONE 5 TO HIT SHOPS 'ON SEPTEMBER 5'

The eagerly-awaited iPhone 5 will be released in the U.S. on September 5, according to a report on an Italian iPhone website.

The latest version of Apple's trailblazing device will arrive in shops internationally the following month, ComputerWorld said.

The California-based tech company is due to announce the iPhone 5 launch next month.

Meanwhile, technology blog Boy Genius Report has said telecommunications firm AT&T is preparing employees for the iPhone 5 launch in September and has hired staff to cope with 'new product launches'.

Forty-six per cent said that 4G network compatibility was important to them, 45 per cent are hoping for a larger screen, and 42 per cent would like an improved camera.

Graham Jones, a spokesman for PriceGrabber, said: '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.

'Anticipation and brand loyalty are certainly high, but in today's 24/7 work culture and uncertain economic environment, consumers are cautious to look for a reasonably priced phone that will perform optimally over an extended time period.'

The survey found that Apple's mobile operating system is the most popular too.

When asked which smartphone operating system they prefer, 48 per cent of respondents said Apple iOS; 19 per cent prefer Android OS; 7 per cent said Microsoft Windows; and 6 per cent chose RIM BlackBerry.

When the survey subjects were asked which smartphone they would prefer to receive as a gift, Apple won by a landslide again, with 69 per cent wanting the latest iPhone.