Edible Apple

Following the release of the iPhone 4S, Apple for the first time made one of its older iPhone models – the 3GS – available for free to consumers on contract. With many Android models available at cheap pricepoints, Apple was clearly trying prevent a price umbrella over competing products.

Now it’s to be expected that the newest iPhone model – the 4S – would be significantly more popular than the 2+ year old 3GS, but recent data compiled by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) reveals that most customers, by and large, are completely ignoring the 3GS.

The following chart from CIRP shows that 89% of the 37 million iPhone devices Apple sold this past quarter were of the 4S variety. Meanwhile, 7% were iPhone 4s while a paltry 4% were 3GS devices.

Now does this demonstrate that there’s no market for free iPhones?

Not at all.

Keep in mind that the iPhone 3GS is only available for AT&T subscribers as a CDMA version of that model was never created. Consequently, Sprint and Verizon customers have no option for a free iPhone at all.

The report further notes:

Interestingly, the higher-end 4S models sold particularly well. Of that 89 percent figure, 21 percent were 64 gigabyte models, 34 percent were 32GB, and 45 percent were 16GB. So, while a lot of folks have been willing to spring for the $199 16GB 4S, an impressive number have been willing to cough up the $399 for the 64GB.

Also interesting is that 19% of iPhone 4S buyers were upgrading from the iPhone 4, meaning that the allure of the new iPhone was enough to justify them breaking out of their contracts and paying more money for the latest and greatest from Apple. Though with the resale value of the iPhone 4 nothing to scoff at, perhaps it wasn’t the biggest monetary hit.

And if you think that’s something, just wait until Apple releases the iPhone 5.

Watch out, Samsung.

via All Things D