New York: More than four million pre-orders for the new iPhones were placed on the first day, shattering sales records for Apple and prolonging wait times for its enthusiastic fan base.
Each time a new iPhone model has come out, it has broken sales records. Apple last week announced two new iPhones, both with bigger screens than their predecessors: a 4.7-inch model called the iPhone 6, and a bigger 5.5-inch model dubbed the iPhone 6 Plus.
Both the smartphones will be delivered to customers starting Friday and throughout September, but many won’t be delivered until October, Apple said. Phones will still be available on Friday on a walk-in basis at Apple retail stores and from various wireless carriers and authorized Apple resellers.
Apple received two 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.
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.
The new iPhones will initially be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK. Availability will expand to more than 20 additional countries a week later.