Analyst: FaceTime Driving Many iPhone 4 Sales

· by · Apple Stock Watch

The video call feature FaceTime is a key driver in many iPhone 4 launch day sales, according to UBS analyst Maynard Um. In a survey conducted outside two Apple Store locations in New York City, he also found that most iPhone 4 buyers were upgrading from earlier iPhone models.

“68 percent of respondents stated that Facetime (video chat) was the most attractive new feature for iPhone 4 while 24 percent said that new HD capabilities were the most enticing,” he said.

Mr. Um added “The majority of respondents (80 percent) were upgrading to the new iPhone from either the 3G S or 3G iPhone.”

About 64 percent of the customers surveyed said they planned to buy the 32GB model instead of the 16GB version because they wanted to make sure they had enough storage space for capturing HD video.

The new iPhone 4 includes a 5 megapixel camera capable of capturing 720p video at 30 frames per second, along with a second front-facing camera for video calls. It also sports a higher resolution multi-touch display, longer battery life, a built-in LED flash, and more.

Based on current consumer interest, Mr. Um expects his 9.8 million units sold for the September quarter will most likely prove to be conservative.

Mr. Um is maintaining his “Buy” rating and US$320 target price for Apple’s stock. Apple is currently trading at $268.75, down 2.22 (-0.82%).

Jeff Gamet

Jeff Gamet

Jeff is the Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and co-host of the Apple Context Machine podcast. He is the author of "The Designer's Guide to Mac OS X" from Peachpit Press, and writes for several design-related publications. Jeff has presented at events such as Macworld Expo, the RSA Conference, and the Mac Computer Expo. In all his spare time, he also co-hosts the We Have Communicators podcast, and makes guest appearances on several other podcasts, too. Jeff dreams in HD.

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