Have the antenna problems with the iPhone 4 affected Apple’s sales? According to at least one highly visible analyst, the answer is yes.
On Wednesday, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster released the results of a survey his firm conducted of 258 cell phone users in Minneapolis. The survey found that about 69 percent had been aware of quality issues with the iPhone 4, and, of those aware, 20 percent said their purchase decision had been impacted. Muster did not specify what “impacted” means.
Verizon Wireless
But the Piper Jaffray survey found a bigger issue for Apple among the relatively small sample. Three times as many respondents complained — without prompting — about the iPhone not being on Verizon Wireless, compared to those who said their purchasing decision had been affected by ‘Antennagate.’
For months, rumors have been circulating that Verizon would soon be offering the iPhone as AT&T’s exclusive period runs out, but no definite plans have yet been announced. Some industry observers have speculated that AT&T’s exclusivity will end later this year or early next year.
Although Munster said that these factors could have a substantial impact on Apple’s sales, he also acknowledged that the company is selling iPhone 4s as fast as they can be manufactured.
Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, said his view is that there is “minimal, if any, impact” on Apple’s iPhone 4 sales as a result of the antenna issue.
“My understanding is that the main issue for Apple’s sales is still availability,” he noted. As for whether the prospect of the iPhone being carried by Verizon is dampening or postponing sales, Greengart said that was “a bit harder” to evaluate.
“It’s not at all cut and dried,” he said, adding that one would need to evaluate whether potential customers’ tendency to remain with their…