In a note to analysts — as reported by “AppleInsider” (www.appleinsider.com) — FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger thinks the next gen iPhone will be one of the most promising device upgrade cycles in Apple’s history, driving more than US$50 in earnings and as many as 250 million units.

The analyst says the “iPhone 5 Tsunami” should help the wireless industry as a whole. Berger thinks Apple’s next smartphone will “help the industry migrate to a better balance between content provider and end-user revenue sources to support continued investment.”

Berger also believes that if China Mobile begins selling the iPhone in early 2013, it would generate 13 million units in the first half of the year, notes “AppleInsider.”