Apple iPhone 4S sells 4 million units over weekend

Though Apple iPhone 4S did not impress pundits when it was unveiled, it certainly seems to have been a hit with the customers who picked up 4 million units over the weekend, making it the fastest-selling iPhone ever.

But equally impressively iOS 5 crossed 25 million downloads for customers' iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches in the five days since the release of the operating system, according to the technology giant.

Also more than 20 million people signed up for iCloud, the free service from Apple that syncs data such as calendars, contacts and photos wirelessly across users' computers and portable Apple gadgets, according to the company. The service was also launched five days ago.

According to Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, iPhone 4S sales were "more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days".

The previous-generation iPhone 4, which debuted in June 2010, and was Apple's bestselling product; clocked up more sales than all earlier versions of the iPhone combined.

Over 1 million iPhone 4S handsets were pre-ordered in the first 24 hours after the new product was introduced on 4 October, the day before Apple co-founder and technology icon Steve Jobs died.