Apple’s (AAPL) most recent smartphone launch was its biggest ever by a wide margin. The company sold more than 5 million iPhone 5 handsets during its first three days of availability, and iPhone sales across all models in the iPhone 5’s debut quarter totalled 27 million units. Apple’s latest iPhone isn’t just a big deal to Apple fans, however — according to Mobile Future, a coalition of wireless companies and non-profit organizations, the iPhone 5 had a staggering impact on the U.S. economy in 2012.
Mobile Future’s “2012 Mobile Year in Review” covers a number of impressive mobile feats, which isn’t surprising considering the tremendous growth seen by industry leaders including Samsung (005930) and Apple. A few bullet points:
- Mobile data usage literally doubled in 2012.
- At 31 million tweets the 2012 Presidential Election was the most Tweeted event in history. And six in ten Americans now want the right to vote – via wireless.
- 10 million photos were shared on Instagram during Thanksgiving 2012 – peaking at 226 pictures per second.
- Over 50 precent of all mobile data was video, and consumers watched 9.3 billion mobile videos in the U.S. alone.
- More than half of Americans now own smartphones, and there are more than 1 billion smartphones globally.
- Applesold more mobile devices in 2012 than it sold computers ever.
- iPhone 5 sales alone could single-handedly move the entire $15 trillion U.S. economy by up to half a percent.
While each is more impressive than the last, the final one is particularly shocking. The iPhone 5, one single smartphone model that will have been available for just three months and nine days when 2012 comes to a close, is estimated to move the U.S. economy up by about $75 billion this year.
Disappointing indeed.[bgr-post-bug]
