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Survey shows demand for Apple's iPhone 6 still growing as supply stabilizes

Apple's new, larger-screened iPhones are even more popular now than they were when they were announced, according to survey data released Tuesday, boding well for the Cupertino company as it continues to chip away at supply shortages.

Half of the surveyed consumers who plan to purchase a smartphone in the next three months are eyeing an iPhone, compared to 47 percent following the handset's announcement in September. Investment bank Piper Jaffray conducted the survey of 1,004 consumers in the U.S. this month, and the results were revealed by analyst Gene Munster in a note to investors, a copy of which was provided to AppleInsider.

In contrast, a similar survey conducted after the iPhone 5s launch saw demand drop from 50 percent to 44 percent in the same period.

"Overall we believe this shows that consumers are extremely interested in the larger screen iPhone 6," Munster wrote, calling it "a testament to the strength of the current upgrade cycle."

At the same time, Apple's manufacturing partners appear to be slowly catching up with demand. The bank checked some 80 Apple retail stores last week and found the iPhone 6 in stock at 78 percent of those, compared to 56 percent the week before.

Shipping times for the new iPhones have also improved to as little as one day, leading Munster to conclude that Apple may be able to catch up fully by the end of December.