The pending iPhone upgrade cycle could be huge for Apple, as 35 percent of current iPhone owners (all models) ages 13 and above in the U.S. say they are likely to upgrade their device in the next six months, according to a report from comScore. Combining this data with a separate set of comScore numbers about the U.S. smartphone market in June, this amounts to 25.5 million iPhone owners in the U.S. who are ready to upgrade their iPhones
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The largest segment of this upgrade-ready audience currently owns the iPhone 4S – of this set of owners, 40 percent say they’re ready to make an upgrade in the next six months. Of the small set of consumers who own pre-iPhone 4 versions of Apple’s smartphone, 46 percent say they’re ready to finally upgrade their devices.
Of course, this doesn’t mean every single one of these current iPhone owners will make the jump all the way up to the iPhone 6 after Apple’s next event. Once the new iPhone is released, previous versions will drop in price, making them appealing options for those who are either unimpressed with the newest iPhone or willing to forego the latest and greatest in exchange for extra dollars in their bank account.
In the report, comScore highlights the finding that 24 percent of iPhone 5S owners are ready to make the upgrade, which is equivalent to 3.6 million people. An analysis of this segment finds that these iPhone 5S owners are more likely to be males ages 25-34 who come from upper-income households and live in coastal regions of the U.S.
Last month, Apple was reported to have ordered 70-80 million units of the iPhone 6, which is expected to come in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sizes.
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