News

It's a record breaker: iPhone sales hit 9 million in opening weekend

But iPhone 5C sales could be as low as 2 million

It's a record breaker: iPhone sales hit 9 million in opening weekend
Apple sold more than 9 million iPhone 5S and 5Cs during the new range's opening three days on sale, with the company branding the weekend as its "best iPhone launch yet".

The company claimed that the stellar start for its new devices was complimented by the fastest take up of a new version of iOS in Apple history, with more than 200 million devices now running iOS 7.

The 9 million figure puts two two devices well ahead of the 5 million sales iPhone 5 amassed during its opening week in 2012.

'Sold out'

"The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5S, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly," said CEO Tim Cook.

"We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone."

Indeed, while there's little doubt iPhone 5S started strongly – queues building up outside Apple stores across North America and Europe – just how well Apple's 'budget' device, the iPhone 5C, has performed remains up for debate.



Reports from France suggest demand for the device is especially low compared to other iPhones, and Apple's decision to combine sales rather than break them down between the two devices will do little to calm fears that the iPhone 5C is performing poorly at retail.

Indeed, third party data published by Localytics analysing the percentage of active iPhones suggest the 5S outsold the 5C by more than 3 to 1 in the US, and almost 4 to 1 internationally.



A rather crude calculation based on those figures would suggest that iPhone 5C sales may have sold around 2 million of the 9 million handsets sold to date.

[source: Apple]

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.