With Apple's earning release for the past quarter that ended two weeks ago now just eight days away, analysts are running their spreadsheets like crazy, falling over themselves to guesstimate just how many iPhones the company sold.
And as the iPhone lineup accounts for more than half of Apple's revenue, no wonder it's become Apple's most important business metric. AAPL passing the $600 milestone also owes much to the success of the iPhone, as does the company's projected $1 trillion valuation.
It's almost as if Apple's future and fortunes depend solely on the iPhone. With that in mind, seasoned watchers should ask themselves whether Apple can retain its crown of the world's top smartphone maker in the March quarter.
And, is the six-month old iPhone 4S still attractive enough to keep people interested until the fabled iPhone 5 (or whatever it ends up being called) arrives later this year? As always, only time will tell. But one thing is certain: Wall Street has high hopes in Apple's ability to keep the iPhone freight train chugging along...
