Over the 16 months since Apple released the iPhone 4, enthusiasm for the iPhone 5 (iPhone 4S?) has built to unprecedented level, according to a number of independent estimates. The latest assessment of iPhone 5 fever comes from Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White, who, according to Business Insider, says in a note to investors that sales of the next-generation iPhone will “shatter” first-day iPhone sales records.
White says he expects Apple to sell about 1.7 million iPhone 5 units in the first day alone. That’s up from the 1.5 million iPhone 4 units Apple is estimated to have sold the first day that device went on sale.
This estimate follows a survey by mobile ad network InMobi, which shows that 41 percent of North American mobile customers plan to purchase the iPhone 5 – the highest number ever recorded.
In line with previous speculation, White also says that he believes the iPhone 5 will “get a makeover with a sleek, aluminum unibody enclosure that more closely resembles the MacBook Air than the iPhone 4, which will not only prove more aesthetically pleasing but also stronger, lighter and avoid the back-side ‘glass breaks’ of last year.”
He also says the next iPhone will have a larger screen that measures “at least” 4 inches. A 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 8-megapixel camera capable of shooting 1080p video are also needed to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S II, which has both, he says. A wide range of iPhone 5 rumors point to the device packing the dual-core A5 processor that powers the iPad 2, as well as a 4-inch screen and 8MP camera.
Despite the long-running speculation that points to an iPhone 5 that matches the description above, a sudden wave of contradictory rumors that have arrived over the past few days show that Apple will not release a heavily redesigned iPhone this year, but instead will offer the iPhone 4S, which is said to look similar to the iPhone 4, but with the same list of updated internal components as the rumored iPhone 5.
Apple will announce its newest iPhone offering, whatever that may be, tomorrow, Tuesday, October 4 at 10am PST. So check back with DT then for the latest iPhone news.
