Nearly Half of Ask.com Users with iPhones Will Snap Up the Latest Model As Soon As It Hits Stores

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- If the rumors are true, the global fascination with the iPhone 5S will be satiated soon, with the new device expected to hit shelves early this fall. Ask.com, a leading online brand for questions and answers, today released data culled from its 100 million monthly users to reveal Americans' thoughts about its pending arrival.

In recent weeks, Ask has seen a spike in iPhone searches, with the following top trending related questions:

1. When will the new iPhone be released?
2. Will there be a cheaper version of the iPhone 5S?
3. What are the features of the iPhone 5S?
4. Will Apple discontinue old iPhones?
5. Will there be a gold iPhone?

Additional findings include (see further below for full methodology):

• When asked if they plan to purchase the new iPhone, 46 percent of Ask users with iPhones – nearly half – say they will snap up the new device as soon as it's available
• Rumors abound that Apple will launch two versions of the next iPhone -- the 5S and a lower cost version, dubbed the 5C. Ask.com polled users to learn which version they'd be more likely to purchase and found more than 60 percent of users reported they'd buy a cheaper (and less feature-rich) version of the new device
• When asked "which feature do you most want to see on the new iPhone?" a stronger battery took the lead, with:
  • 44 percent of users reporting better battery life as their most wanted feature
  • Thumbprint unlock came in second, with 34 percent of users anxiously awaiting the next gen security method
  • "New colors" and "better Siri," brought up the rear with 12 percent and 10 percent of users, respectively, reporting these as their favored features

These findings are derived from search query data and user polls featured on Ask.com, collected over a three-day period and including responses from more than 4,000 poll participants.  Top-trending questions are derived from Ask.com's 100 million monthly users between June 1, 2013 and September 1, 2013. Trending is defined as those questions that were posed and viewed most frequently by Ask users over this time period.

For more information, visit http://blog.ask.com.

About Ask.com
With 100 million global users, Ask.com is a leading online brand for questions and answers and an operating business of IAC. Now available as a mobile service, Ask.com mobile apps have been downloaded more than 3 million times. More information is available at www.ask.com or http://blog.ask.com.

SOURCE Ask.com