iPhone 5: Apple’s Weapon Against Android?

It looks like we have reached the “rumor-a-day” phase of the iPhone 5 mania. With the latest rumors hinting at either a September or early October release date, we might be only a month or two away from Apple’s next-gen smartphone.

According to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, a lot of people are ready to shell out the dough for the new iPhone when it drops – not just current Apple customers.

He made some projections based on a survey of 216 mobile phone users and decided that the huge demand for the iPhone 5 could translate to Apple doubling their market share – a market that is currently controlled by Android OS mobile devices.

Here’s what the makeup of the survey group looks like – 29% currently own iPhones (3G, 3Gs or 4 not specified), 17% currently own Android phones and 28% currently own a BlackBerry. The rest own other types of phones.

Of everyone in the survey, 64% said that they plan on buying an iPhone 5. 60% said that they are simply waiting for the iPhone 5 to come out, and that they will buy it then even if their current phone is still working and their contract is still valid. If only 29% of respondents currently own an iPhone, this means that a giant percentage of non-iPhone users want to make the switch.

In fact, 42% of Android OS users said they will probably switch to iOS when the iPhone 5 drops. In contrast, only 6% of iOS users said they would be switching to Android when they purchase their next phone.

94% of iPhone users plan on buying another iPhone. That’s some customer satisfaction.

The iPhone 5 might also help Verizon specifically – of the 55% of non-iPhone users that expect to buy an iPhone, 74% said that they were waiting on the iPhone 5.

Will the iPhone 5 bring Apple closer to market supremacy?

The latest buzz about the device in question is that it will have a slightly larger display than the 4 and a thinner bezel. Some reports point to an October 1st release date, a little later than the previously discussed mid-September release date.

For a more in-depth roundup of today’s iPhone 5 buzz, check out this rumors article.