New Verizon model could boost iPhone shipments by 12M in 2011

iPhone shipment by Verizon Wireless and other CDMA carriers in 2011 could boost iPhone shipments by 12.1 million, according to market researcher IHS iSuppli.

The new iPhone is the same as the old one, except it uses a network dubbed code division multiple access (CDMA). Verizon’s shipments of CDMA will likely be supplemented as other CDMA carriers around the world start shipping their iPhones. That could boost overall shipments by 25 percent to 61.2 million this year, according to IHS iSuppli.

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Total iPhone shipments are expected to rise 33.3 percent this year. Without CDMA, the growth rate would only be 7 percent. Others that might ship a CDMA iPhone could be Japan’s KDDI and China Telecom.

“The arrival of a CDMA version and the addition of Verizon as a carrier will significantly boost the available market for Apple’s iPhone,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst, wireless communications, for IHS. “Potential and current iPhone subscribers in the United States long have been clamoring for an alternative to AT&T.”

The Verizon model is not expected to be more costly to manufacture than the existing AT&T model, which uses the GSM wireless technology. CDMA iPhone shipments are expected to grow to 16.5 million in 2012 and 20.3 million in 2013. Then they will decline to 18.2 million in 2014, mainly because other networks will see more growth.

IHS iSuppli believes Apple will offer a 4G LTE phone in 2012. That version would be able to take advantage of faster 4G data networks. The LTE version should sell 1.8 million units in 2012, 11.1 million in 2013 and 24.2 million in 2014. Total iPhone sales will soar to 98.4 million units in 2014, up from 46 million in 2010, the research group projects.

[pictures: TechCrunch and Engadget].