Consumers and analysts alike anticipated the release of Apple’s newest smartphone many months prior to its arrival. Rumored features included a larger screen, edge-to-edge glass, an 8 megapixel camera, and extensive voice controls. Many believed the phone would be called the iPhone 5.

The Data

Excitement over the iPhone 5 hit its highest point in search the week of September 25, 2011, a week before Apple unveiled the iPhone 4s in a press conference at their headquarters in Cupertino, CA.

Measuring the Event

How much anticipation was around the iPhone 5? Over the course of the year, searches for the nonexistent phone outnumbered those for the device that was actually released, the iPhone 4s