Sales figures from providers aren't immediately the most reliable numbers you'll ever see, but generally they're a good reflection of ballpark sales.

According to ITProPortal, Vodafone has been talking about its launch day numbers for the iPhone, and suggests that 50,000 units might have flown off the shelves when the network provider released the Apple device yesterday, January 15th.

Vodafone's CEO reportedly confirmed that over 50,000 iPhones would be going out to customers on day one, from pre-orders and in-store sales. Compared to the 30,000 Orange sent out on launch day, and the 20,000 Nexus Ones Google sold globally, these are pretty substantial figures (if true).

One tactic Vodafone took that none of the other providers dabbled with is in targeting the iPhone at business users, which could have impacted its initial sales quite considerably. But even if it's just half the reported numbers, Vodafone could chalk up its personal iPhone day as a roaring success.