Report: 41% Of North American Mobile Users To Buy The iPhone 5

We know the iPhone 5 is being debuted soon and reports point to Sprint as the new carrier. But just how popular will the device be off the bat? InMobi, one of the largest independent mobile ad networks, is releasing a study that forecasts the scope and effect of the iPhone 5 announcement in North America.

The recent InMobi consumer smartphone survey uncovers that 41% of current mobile users in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada plan to buy an iPhone 5—potentially making it the most successful launch from the consumer electronics giant to date. The study also finds that over 50% of those users will make the purchase within the first six months of the iPhone 5 launch, which inMobi says could take Apple significantly ahead of its June 2011 market position, and increase its mobile platform market share from 27% in June (comScore) to 41%.

However, if Apple only unveils a product update (similar to the 3GS version of the iPhone that Apple released in 2009), InMobi says that interest in the new smartphone will be significantly lower, with fewer than 15% of consumers likely to buy the new handset.

The features potential buyers are most hopeful for are improved battery life; increased processing speed; higher-quality screen resolution; and stronger phone service. The study also shows that half of BlackBerry users (52%) are planning to switch to the new Apple iPhone 5, followed by 51% of current iPhone users and over one in four (27%) Android owners. Even if the announcement only unveils an iPhone 4S, 28% of current BlackBerry smartphone owners plan to switch to the iPhone, more than double the amount of current iPhone and Android owners.

InMobi’s North America Market Overview, which shows nearly 24 billion mobile ad impressions on the InMobi network over the past quarter, reports that Apple mobile ad impressions are on the rise in iPod Touch devices and that as a manufacturer, Apple has the majority of the market share, at 29%. Data from the report also indicates a 33% growth in mobile ad impressions over the past three months, and a 39% growth in smart phone impressions in the North America mobile market.

It should be interesting to see if the new iPhone can gain marketshare from Android and RIM. This report seems to indicate that this will be the case. Stay tuned.