Apple?s iPhone 5 is reportedly set to hit the market later this year and 35 percent of consumers are expected to buy the device, per a recent study by Pricegrabber.

Consumers who responded that they would buy the iPhone 5, 51 percent said they will buy it within the first year. The study gathered responses from 2,852 U.S. online consumers.

?Given the success of the iPhone 4, consumers can?t seem to get enough of Apple, and it?s particularly eye opening to see how many consumers are willing to upgrade to a new model so quickly rather than extend the shelf life of still-relevant smartphones that they may already own,? said Graham Jones, general manager of PriceGrabber, Los Angeles.

PriceGrabber is an online shopping site with more than 23 million unique shoppers monthly.

Apple addict
The mobile market has seen a tremendous increase in competitors over the past year with RIM, Google and Windows offering consumers smartphones with advanced technology.

?Consumers? fierce loyalty to the Apple brand over other successful brands, such as BlackBerry and Android, was rather surprising to us,? Mr. Jones said.

?While it?s no secret that Apple is popular and has long been known for its cult-like following over the years, the brand appears to have taken on an unrivaled, mass-market domination in recent years that is setting the standards for other brands,? he said.

In the study, 48 percent of participants said they preferred Apple?s iOS operating system.

To compare, 19 percent of consumers said they liked the Android OS, 7 percent voted for Microsoft Windows and 6 percent chose RIM BlackBerry.

Additionally, 69 percent of participants said they would like to receive an iPhone 5 as a gift instead of the Motorola Droid Bionic, the Samsung Galaxy S II or the BlackBerry Curve.

New features
Despite the plethora of smartphone features available, consumers want more simple and better basic features.

Fifty-nine percent of consumers are looking for a better battery life on the iPhone 5 and 46 percent of users want 4G compatibility.

Additionally, 45 percent of participants are looking for a larger screen and 42 percent hope for a better camera.

This need for simpler and better simple features makes sense based on PriceGrabber?s findings on how smartphone users spend time on their handsets.

The study found that 88 percent of owners use phone calls more frequently on their devices but only 29 percent of consumers used their smartphones for localized functions.

Additionally, 28 percent of participants said they use their smartphone to receive coupons, alerts and deals.

?Retailers would be smart to take note of the specific features that consumers are looking for in the iPhone 5,? Mr. Jones said.

?Consumers today require a reasonably-priced phone that will enhance their work schedules and perform optimally for long periods of time,? he said.

?We suspect that the price of the iPhone 5 and the longevity of its battery compared to the iPhone 4 will be very clearly correlated with its lasting success among consumers.?

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York