iPhone 5 ‘sold’ even before it’s official
Regular readers will know that we endeavor to bring you all the latest developments, rumors and speculation regarding the Apple iPhone 5 and the closer to a release the more we are hearing. Today though we want to take a look at some interesting news that shows that the iPhone 5 is already ‘sold’ to many people before it’s even made official, in theory at least.
We all know that such is the iconic image of the Apple iPhone and its huge loyal user base already, that any new iPhone will always sell in huge numbers almost regardless of what it offers. However the strength of that brand-loyalty is higher than we had estimated according to recent figures, as a new poll shows that 71% of iOS users are “highly likely” to stick with the platform. Presuming that many of those use an iPhone, that equates to huge amounts of units sold even while it’s still an inkling in Apple engineers’ eyes and even if only some of those choose to upgrade to the iPhone 5. Take into account that 21% said they would never leave the iOS platform and the numbers become even more significant.
A survey conducted by Goldman Sachs revealing these figures has come to our attention from Apple Insider and although it took part with 1000 iOS users generally, rather than just iPhone users, it seems likely that the figures would be generally reflected if they just pertained to the iPhone. This amount of brand loyalty is pretty staggering and in an investors note on Friday, Bill Shope of Goldman Sachs estimated that the total collective iOS customer value works out at almost $295 billion. That means that the average iOS customer is worth $1053 to Apple and that’s “without any consideration for the content, services or peripherals streams, or for the platform’s growth potential,” based on Apple’s current user base.
The survey conducted by Goldman Sachs considered the costs to customers of changing platforms and 21% said they would never leave Apple regardless of any amount of discount offered. Of the customers who were unsure and said they would consider leaving, over half said that the discount would have to be worth 30% or greater to get them to jump ship. The poll results showed that 71% of respondents said they were “highly likely” to stick with Apple for their next smartphone or tablet while 23% said they were “likely” to remain an iOS user. Only 1% of respondents said they were “unlikely” to remain with Apple.
Some of you may be aware that yesterday marked the fifth birthday of the release of the first iPhone and an infographic on Mashable about the success of the iPhone also has some fascinating statistics. As of March 2012 Apple has sold 218 million iPhones in total, creating revenue of $140 billion. In the last quarter, sales of the iPhone made up 58% of Apple’s total revenue, illustrating the importance of this device to Apple.
It seems that for now at least, unless Apple completely loses the plot, the ongoing success of the iPhone seems virtually guaranteed. To recap our main point, in theory the iPhone 5 has already ‘sold’ in huge numbers to many people simply because of customer loyalty to the Apple brand. Just how many millions of iPhone 5’s will be sold on its release is of course not yet known but it will certainly be interesting to find out at a later date how many iPhone 5 buyers previously owned an iPhone.
We’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Have you already ‘purchased’ the next iPhone 5 in theory, simply because you are an established iPhone user and wouldn’t consider changing? Maybe you’re new to the iOS platform and considering buying an iPhone for the first time and are impressed with the depth of customer loyalty towards Apple? Of course you could also be one of those who simply doesn’t understand why Apple users are so faithful? Let us know by sending your comments.
Comments
39 thoughts on “iPhone 5 ‘sold’ even before it’s official”
At least that makes sense how Apple always shows a demo video showing people using the device.
Ha iPhone 5 sold already, because the 4s will be out of date the day before the 5 is released. At this rate the iphone 6 should be out by April making the 5 out of date if what this article is suggesting is correct. And it will be correct because the 71 % are not interested in the iPhone per se, more they have to have the latest, which in reality if the 4s has the best screen ever (Samsung take note) and it has the most user friendly os (google take note) cant be much improved as you can’t improve on perfection right? Oh yea just give it another number.
Cant improve on perfection?! Typical iZombie, you will love anything apple throws up and places its label on.
Gs3 the Beginning of the end of apple.
 Laztug, Chute55uk was being sarcastic about the apple advertisements and apple loyals saying the most recent apple device is perfection.
I have owned imac and special macbook cross with macbook pro laptop not a phone yet.
There is good planning on Apples product releases and the revised dock connector and thunderbolt are good changes. They also are Apples way of dealing with its’ customers. i.e. They change devices and standards AS APPLE SEES FIT and buy the latest product or be left behind. ANyone have a pile of nubus cards? firewire interfaces? lying around gathering dust because apple moved on in its’ designs.
You buy the latest greatest from apple not because you want better features but because YOU HAVE TO, or new software versions don’t work, devices don’t work. That is the ecosystem apple loyals have bought into- so they should stop complaining. The option for years was the opposite model, keep supporting old hardware and allow old software to run on newer hardware- microsofts’ model.
Android just suffered another hit this last week when adobe did to android what
adobe did to apple….NO FLASH support for android 4.1 jelly bean! Adobe quit flash on mobile development and support months ago and they just made it clear DON’T look for it on jelly bean.
So all companies move forward as best as they see fit for their company with their products. I wanted to see what the iphone 5 was going to be but I have waited since august for a new phone and need a bigger screen than the iphones had…i couldn’t wait any longer iphone 4sssss wasn;t bigger and a lackluster feature set change everyone claims quad core hone processors are incompatible with LTE so I bought screen size with fastest dual core available samsung s3 2 gb memory not 512mb or 1 mb. next upgrade who knows maybe products will merge somemore when the patent lawsuit craze has ended. Judges are already beginning to pull the plug on this silliness…keep it up judge posner.
I think that apple is going to have the same fate in mobile phones as did yahoo in search engines (just a mater of time) specially with samsung and google together, time its just a mater of time
Unless Apple totally screws up the next iPhone (like releasing a 4+” device or something), I’m deffinitely not jumping ship. I’ve invested in the platform, having a mac, iPad, and iPhone and switching to a Google/MS centric ecosystem is way too expensive and pretty much unreasonable. Right now I have all those amazing apps syncing seamlessly across all my devices, I am always using the latest version of the OS on every device I own, and I truly feel they are tools making my life easier instead the other way around. So, I don’t really care if people would describe me as a fanatic, or a fanboy, or anything, I would rather be mainstream user and have everything working the way I like it to, than be one of those enlightened geeky android users poking fun at people for using Apple products.
Do you know there is a new charger / USB… All of your chargers, speakers, doc’s won’t work!!! I was gutted…. Like you I was apple all of the way, but as I am going to have to start and build the infrastructure again, I think the android phones are better in some respects…. Can watch any video, easy to put music on… Can use 32G cards… Might be time to say good bye apply!
there will prob be an adapter for that just like from magsafe 2 to magsafe for the new macbook chill
I think that the next iPhone should be called the iPhone 4G actually. It works because iPhone 5 is bad because it will be the sixth iPhone, and because the iPhone 3G was names for the same reason. It’s perfect.
I’ve definitely already “purchased” the next iPhone 5 in theory 😀 The Apple trademark is synonymous with great design and great quality. The 4s was a bit of a disappointment and it still brought about a new world record in sales and pre-orders; the 4s, in my opinion, was a way of keeping everyone’s guard down so that Apple had another year to come up with a revolution in mobile phone technology, the iPhone 5. Only time will tell, it should be released within 2 – 3 months and I think we are really in for a surprise. This will be the “make-it-or-break-it”phone for the Apple company; if the iPhone 5 is something that we all expected and does not feature any technology that is significantly ahead of Samsung, then this company will fall. If however Apple produces technologies that are much more advanced than that of Samsung’s latest, the Apple symbol will become much more well known and popular and the company will thrive for year’s to come :DÂ
I already think the 4S is great, but redesign or not, I would probably find one feature that would sell me an iPhone 5. It is also highly unlikely that the next iPhone will not include any of my impressers which include a thinner design, 4G LTE, better camera of some kind, faster processor or GPU even.
Type your comment here..
I love the idea of the IPhone 5, however, and it’s a big however. Apply built their infrastructure from the ground with the 1st iPod. People bought this and build on it, so now they have the speaker systems and chargers and iPhones and IPads… The new IPhone 5 is romoured to have a new power cable from a 30pin to a small 19pin… So I’m right in saying that my new iPhone 5, if o bought one, would not fit any of the products that I bought to support this expensive item. Back in the days there was no other phone to match the iPhone, but now there is… Given the fact that I will now have the get rid of my £1000, worth of docking stations, is now the time to get a phone that I don’t have the issues of ITunes…. Quick time…. and a non expandable memory??? Watch this space Apply cos you are making a big step, are people willing to change all of their existing infrastructure, for your phone? I for one am sitting on the fence and a tempted to change to android…
I’m thinking the same fella! Oh what to do I’m shaw there will be some sort of adaptor available. Imagine if you were one of the muppets that bought an iPhone docking sofa from DFS. An aful sofa that won’t play your new iPhone. Lol
I’m on the other end – fed up with all the inconsistency and issues with Android, and ready to go for iOS. Both platforms have issues, I recognize, it’s just a matter of taste, and so far my taste has preferred much more strongly Apple products than the competition. They just seem more stable and quality than anything else.Â
 It won’t be long when IOS compatible speakers are all wireless, chargers are inductive and iPhones have no cable port. Change and planned obsolescence in Apple’s products are a given. That’s true of Apple’s competitors too.
I love my I phone but what is the big secret. Why can’t they just say when it’s going to be released if I don’t hear by Wedensday a definate date when I do my upgrade it will be for the Samsung Galaxy as the I phone 5 may not come out who knows I know I don’t come on apple let us into your secrets.
If Apple announced its release date too early, other companies would want to release their products the same day to steal attention.
I am going to jump ship for sure after missing with my friends galaxy nexus. He had the newest version of android 4.1 jelly bean and its effing amazing!!! Buttery smooth, fluid, and just very customizable! I’d really recommend you guys to try the new jelly bean before buying the iPhone 5. This is coming from a iPad, iMac, macbook pro, and iPhone user!
I’m sold on every Apple product that ever comes out.
Purchased the Samsung galaxy S3. Returned it. Went back to my 4S. You bet your bottom dollar I’ll be getting the 5.
I’m sticking to Apple. I converted to the iMac and the MacBook Pro in 2010 just because I was so happy with the iPhone. I have never been more elated to use computers as much as I have been in the last two years. My creativity has soared since everything really does “just work” ad I’m not wasting time on defragging, service pack updates (and the system crashes they cause), mirroring Windows over Windows so my computer will boot. I had become a computer-bug-fixing-guru with Windows, but I didn’t want to spend all my time repairing networks, updating drivers and blah, blah, blah. Now, with Apple, all my stuff works together, configures peripherals automatically (and correctly), 3rd Party programs and accessories are a CINCH to use, I’ve lost no information and none of my computers have ever crashed, paused, retained what I didn’t want or die. I will NEVER go back to Windows! -tracy
Who cares?
You all know nothing and you spout on about nothing,all you comment on is theory’s no fact,it’s all fiction wildly based on made up story’s,what a load of twaddle,
Ps,I think half the comments come from apple staff lol !,you are all obsessed with apple,there is another life out there daaaa!!!!
I really want a Galaxy s3 and hate apple if I’m honest, but do agree they make good products. My reasons for hating apple are; the constant patent arguments set about to try to stop the any competition and the Fanboys, the very people who love apple will be it’s eventual downfall. That said I’m still going to hang on to see what the Iphone 5 has to offer, if I’m distinctly unimpressed, the Galaxy s3 it is!
I never liked I phone when it first came out even though I upgraded two times to iPhone. I gave it away to family again I upgraded to I phone 4 and had to put up with it now I love iPhone I can do everything on it got iPhone 4s love it and I pad I would not Chang from apple now love it even though I always used Nokia in the past apple beat all phones with apps easy use easy to reset no I can’t wait for iPhone 5 I’m sold to apple
We need to start working on the grammar, commas and periods instead of worrying about the iphone 5.
I hated the Iphone used the the first iIphone trying to copy contacts took 2 hours to find out u cant copy contacts from sim card wishing to throw the Iphone away luckly phone was not mine. my wife got Iphone 3g first time and i tryed it again but the more i used it this time was different and on 4 day went to apple and bought the phone since then apple is apple you can compare it with anything i get every product of apple on its launch date even mac also and now waiting for new product launch from apple to get itÂ
How about trying to use a little punctuation you idiot did they not teach you any thing at school it is almost impossable to read I like to ride roller coaster and eat ice cream unicorns are not real I am going to shut up now ps punctuation is really important because it makes you sound like a complete moronic rambling idiot when you don’t use it
I find it funny that everyone is complaining that the new iPhone will have a new dock connector, and all their current docking stations won’t work, and how because of this they are oing to switch to android and the S3…
HELLO! If you switch to an S3 your speakers still won’t work!!
If it is true that a smaller dock connector is included, apple WILL no doubt already have an adapter made as to not make everything obsolete.
Hi, I agree that yes you will need to buy another speaker or doc, however, given the fact tat the other phones are going to “one charger for all,,, and that they give a upgradable memory and that they can play any movie type and music…. I feel that it might be a safer option to re build my infrastructure around a android system…. Not saying that I am, I just feel that the new charger has just rendered my £1000, of docking systems void…. And that it had been built from my first iPod….. I hope there is a link that will make it work…..
i’ve had iphones for three years and Macs for far longer, I wouldn’t move away from the company based on the platform and networking capabilities – no other brand comes close in my view… I
 i’ve had macs and iphones more than 5 years
but if apple donen’t start making things more affordable i’m going to start making changes
regrettably
i have an iphone 6
what a load of crap to lull traffic to the website….
I looked in to the Samsung Galaxy 3 but its lack of connectivity with my Macbook Pro (not surprising with all the battles between them) means I am waiting for the iPhone 5 to upgrade my 3GS. Just having to wait to see if it is worth the wait, if not then go for a 4S. I am sure I am not alone there either. Apple, even when a bit expensive are a great brand and do make good products.Â
I don’t know why people look at these articles, you don’t know what changes will be made until around September anyways.
I am eagerly awaiting the iPhone 5 to upgrade my 3Gs, I agree that the new phone is already sold to those with existing iPhones as also new users. However, I do wish Apple would give an indication on the release date which would draw in more consumers rather than a mysterious release date.