iPhone News Updated

67% of potential Asian iPhone buyers remain untapped by Apple

The iPhone could see huge sales numbers in Asia as the region’s burgeoning smartphone market has been largely untapped, with only about 22 percent of carriers selling Apple’s handset, according to a new analysis.

In a note to investors on Monday, investment bank Morgan Stanley said that expanding the number of mobile carriers that offer the iPhone within Asia’s emerging smartphone market is Apple’s biggest worldwide opportunity for device sales.

Analyst Katy Huberty estimates that carrier expansion has driven about 50 percent of overall cellular subscriber growth globally since 2008, with carrier growth playing a significant factor in driving iPhone sales. Since its launch on AT&T’s network in 2007, Apple has partnered with over 230 carriers in 105 countries, helping iPhone shipments grow from 270,000 units in its first year to over 20 million units per quarter in 2011.

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Five signs iPhone 5 is coming this spring: 4G flop, Verizon, AT&T hike

So much for the head fake. If Apple was attempting to get would-be iPhone 4 buyers to go ahead and take the plunge by creating the illusion that the iPhone 5 could be delayed, it may have worked in at least some instances – but the gig appears to be up. Here are five reasons why the iPhone 5 looks headed toward a spring – that’s right, spring, not summer – 2011 release.

And of course by “spring” we mean early June:

- AT&T just raised early upgrade fees. There’s no reason for the original iPhone carrier to make that move right now unless it expects the iPhone 5 is coming soon and wanted to sneak the fee hike in under the radar before the iPhone 5 makes its debut.

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