A new survey by PriceGrabber revealed that 1/3 of American consumers want to buy an iPhone 5.

"Our survey data confirms the strong following Apple has built around its iPhone, with more than one-third of consumers planning to upgrade to the latest model only a little over a year following the release of the iPhone 4," said Graham Jones, general manager of PriceGrabber.

According to the study 35% of US consumers have plans to purchase an iPhone 5. 51% of these say they will buy the smartphone during the first year of availability while other 30% say they will pick one up before the end of this year. 14% of them plan to buy it within its first month and 7% in the first week.

The respondents also expressed their feelings about what they consider most important in the new iPhone:

• 59 per cent: better battery life
• 55 per cent: lower cost
• 46 per cent: 4G network compatibility
• 45 per cent: a larger display
• 42 per cent: a better camera

PriceGrabber also asked the respondents what phone they'd most like to receive as a gift. The overwhelming preference for Apple's offering may influence your holiday shopping:

• iPhone 5: 69 per cent
• Motorola Droid Bionic: 7 per cent
• Samsung Galaxy S II: 4 per cent
• BlackBerry Curve: 3 per cent