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Apple, the renowned smartphone giant, has a new medal that goes into the company’s book of record sales. The Cupertino tech giant confirmed that the pre-order sales of its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus surpassed 4 million units during the first 24 hours last week. The impressive response by the Apple fans exhausted the inventory, delaying the shipments of pre-ordered devices as late as October.
In a statement issued Monday, Apple detailed the debut of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which went up for advanced sale online in the wee hours of Friday morning. Although some customers will receive their devices this Friday, Apple acknowledged that many will have to wait until October for the coveted packages to arrive. In the meantime, the new phones, which feature larger screens, will hit the shelves of local retail stores Friday morning.
“iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are better in every way, and we are thrilled customers love them as much as we do,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “Pre-orders for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus set a new record for Apple, and we can’t wait to get our best iPhones yet into the hands of customers starting this Friday.”
Apple received 2 million pre-orders for the iPhone 5, the last model for which it disclosed statistics on advance sales. The next yardstick for the new iPhones’ success will come opening weekend. Apple sold 9 million gadgets last year during the first weekend of sales for the iPhone 5S and 5C.
Apple unveiled the iPhone 6, which measures 4.7 inches diagonally, and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus last Tuesday at a star-studded event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, along with a long-awaited smartwatch. An Apple spokeswoman declined to breakdown the early sales figures between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 Plus appeared to sell out first on carriers’ websites, but that may be because supplies of the larger device are more limited, said Ken Dulaney, an analyst at research firm Gartner.
Analysts predicted that consumers would flood stores when Apple finally matched its peers with larger screens. Although the sales records make for good press, consumers are easily frustrated by long waits, Dulaney said.
“That seems like a little bit of poor planning,” he said. “When you announce the device, you want to ship it.”
Consumers have shown a willingness not only to wait for the new iPhones, but to fork over more money for them. The iPhone 6 costs $199 with a two-year contract, but the iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 — $100 more than the flagship device fetched last year. It’s favorable math for the Cupertino-based company, Dulaney noted.
“These are good times for Apple,” he said.
Agencies/Canadajournal
