Apple sells 13 mn new iPhones by weekend
29 Sep 2015
Apple said yesterday that it had sold a whopping 13 million new iPhones.
The record number included iPhone sales from pre-orders and in-store sales from the past weekend. The company had sold 10 million units in the first weekend last year.
"Sales for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have been phenomenal, blowing past any previous first weekend sales results in Apple's history," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO in a statement.
"Customers' feedback is incredible and they are loving 3D Touch and Live Photos."
The new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus featured a different touch screen that could sense how long and hard it was being pressed. It also had a stronger aluminum body, faster and more efficient processor, and higher resolution cameras.
The new iPhone will go on sale in over 40 countries on 9 October.
Although sales surpassed analysts' expectations of 12 million to 13 million units, Apple shares were down over 1 per cent, which suggested investors remained sceptical that Apple could improve on the demand for the earlier iPhone, which propelled the company to its most profitable quarter ever, according to IDC analyst John Jackson.
"Topping what the iPhone 6 achieved looks like a tall order, even for Apple, with its history of outdoing itself," he said, Reuters reported.
The iPhone 6 had set the earlier record of 10 million unit sales in its first weekend, though, the figures excluded China, where regulatory problems delayed the gadget's debut last year.
According to analysts Apple was virtually assured to set a first-weekend record for iPhone sales with the inclusion of China, which many expected would soon emerge as the company's largest market.
However, according to several analysts, the 6s figures which also included the US, Australia and the UK, suggested Apple was on track to lift iPhone sales slightly from last year.
According to FBR Capital Markets analyst Daniel Ives' projection Apple sold over 2 million iPhones in China over the weekend.
He added, demand out of China looked white-hot.