While there is certainly plenty of consumer anticipation for the iPhone 5, which should be arriving in another month or so, it seems very much like the iPhone 5 launch will be Apple’s largest and most successful launch ever. There are a number of reasons why this will almost certainly be the case, and those reasons begin with how the iPhone 5 is likely to affect the US.
iPhone 5’s US Impact
If rumors about the device are to be believed, then the iPhone 5 will be unique in comparison to its predecessors in a number of ways. The iPhone 5 will bring new hardware to the table, of course, but it will also bring a reduced and simplified manufacturing and distribution process, and it will also be available to a far larger initial audience than any iPhone in the past.
The iPhone 5’s first advantage lies in the rather likely idea that the next-gen handset will be a world phone, that is to say, it will feature a dual-mode wireless radio that will be able to connect to both GSM and CDMA networks. This means that Apple will no longer have to product two different versions of the iPhone 5 to connect to different network types.
Further, if the many rumors occurring these past months regarding the iPhone 5 coming to Sprint’s US CDMA network are true (and AT&T purchases T-Mobile, thus bringing the iPhone to their customers as well), then the iPhone 5 will reach a significantly larger US audience than it has ever been able to reach before. Additionally, the fact that Sprint is currently a very Android-focused carrier could become a significant factor in Apple gaining additional market share over Google’s Android platform.
iPhone 5’s Global Impact
Most indications, however, seem to suggest that the iPhone 5 won’t merely stop at the US. With Apple reportedly having entered negotiations with China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, the iPhone 5 could also reach a record number of consumers in Asia – about 900 million consumers, in fact, which would be a tremendous boost for the device.
Add to this already highly-stacked pile of ideas the notion that Russia will reportedly receive the iPhone 5 as soon as November, significantly sooner than it would normally receive the new device, and Apple appears to have a serious slam-dunk of a launch on their hands (as long as they can manage to keep production high enough to curtail the iPhone 5’s intense demand).
Timing and Circumstance
The timing of the iPhone 5 launch will also position it for immense success, perfectly position the device for particularly impressive holiday sales. The iPhone 5’s release in the fall rather than the summer will only make it more appealing for holiday shoppers.
Further, if Apple decides to release the iPhone 5 as an unlocked device, which seems more and more reasonable as the device gains support for an ever increasing number of mobile providers, then its available market will be even more significant than otherwise thought.
In the end, very little is certain when it comes to the iPhone 5, but one thing seemingly could not be more clear: No matter how you shape or interpret the data, the iPhone 5 is poised to te be Apple’s most successful iPhone launch yet, and may well serve as that critical key to defeating Google’s Android platform once and for all.
