Michael Feroli of JPMorgan Chase estimated that the iPhone 5 might add “one-quarter to one-half of a percentage point to the growth rate of U.S. gross domestic product in the final quarter of the year.” This assumes a price point of $600, where about $400 is captured by the U.S., and assuming sales of about 8 million, you have $3.2 billion generated.
“This estimate seems fairly large, and for that reason should be treated skeptically,” writes Feroli in a research brief titled “Can one little phone impact GDP ”
He notes that the projection fits with what happened when the iPhone 4S, a less hyped product, that was released last October. “Overall retail sales that month significantly outperformed expectations and online sales and computer and software sales . . . had their largest monthly increase on record.”
Source: BusinessWeek.com
