Apple has broken analyst estimates and reported a record-breaking 9 million iPhone 5s and 5c models sold in the first weekend. Plus, 200 million users upgraded to iOS 7.
In a statement released on Monday in the US, Apple announced it has sold a combined 9 million units of its two new iPhones: the flagship iPhone 5s and the colourful iPhone 5 update, the iPhone 5c. The combined sales set a new launch weekend record for the company, and Apple indicated that it has sold out of its initial supply of the iPhone 5s.
“The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement. “And while we’ve sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5S, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone.”
Apple would not split the 5s and 5c numbers out, but one analytics company, Localytics, said it has seen 3.4 times as many iPhone 5s activations as iPhone 5c. If this is correct, it places iPhone 5s sales at around the 7 million mark. Last year, Apple reported “over 5 million” iPhone 5 sales after the launch weekend, so, on these analytics, the iPhone 5s alone could have sold 40 per cent more units than last year.
Many analysts were expecting results in the 5 to 6 million range, so 9 million seems to have surpassed even Apple’s own projections. Apple announced to investors that it expects to finish its fiscal quarter at the “high end of the previously provided range”.
Apple also reports that the iOS 7 upgrade has been the fastest software upgrade in history, with over 200 million users now running the latest iOS.