iPhone 4S destroys sales record; over 4 million units sold in first weekend

Apple today announced it has sold over four million of its new iPhone 4S, just three days after its launch on October 14.

Apple’s previous launch weekend record and, indeed, the record for any smartphone, was the more than 1.7 million new iPhone 4 units sold in the first three days (June 24-26, 2010).

In addition, more than 25 million customers are already using iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, in the first five days of its release, and more than 20 million customers have signed up for iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices. iPhone 4S is available today in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK, and will be available in 22 more countries on October 28 and more than 70 countries by the end of the year.

“iPhone 4S is off to a great start with more than four million sold in its first weekend—the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, in the press release. “iPhone 4S is a hit with customers around the world, and together with iOS 5 and iCloud, is the best iPhone ever.”

iPhone 4S is the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including Apple’s dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking.

iPhone 4S comes in either black or white and is available in the US for a suggested retail price of US$199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model and $399 for the new 64GB model. iPhone 4S is available from the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and select Best Buy, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4 is available for just $99 and iPhone 3GS is available for free with a two year contract.

iPhone 4S will be available on October 28 in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Source: Apple Inc.

MacDailyNews Take: Bloodbath.

47 Comments

      1. Maybe siri is busy finishing writing its own personality. We may wake up one morning to the words “Hello, test subject. Welcome to the enrichment center. If you succeed you will receive cake. Please call me GLaDOS. Siri was my old name.”

  1. “It was a dud! DUD!” ~ CNN anchorwoman (British Indian, forgot her name) expressing her opinion (with rolling eyes and all that jazz) on the latest iPhone 4S introduction event, during the coverage of Steve Jobs untimely demise.

    1. She’s an idiot. Along with that CNET idiots who said they were ready to switch because they thought iPhone 5 was gonna be on sale. Then they write BS how diassapinted they were when it didn’t come out. What a bunch of tools who are suppose to be tech writers for falling for a rumor. Stupid! LOL

      1. I am saddened to see anyone compare Steve Jobs to Edison. Edison was a jerk who tried to have the US gov’t ban AC poser and used to electrocute small animals outside of his factory to ‘teach’ people how dangerous AC was.

        Please check the real history of that superstitious light bulb thief.

  2. Well, that “push” is still not working for a lot of people, myself included. Tried restoring, removing/adding the iCloud onto the iPhone 4, but the mail never arrives until I manually open the mail app. Curiously, it is pushed onto the iPad and iMac, just not the phone. Seeing an apple genius later today to see what they have to say.

    1. You prob have the mail app set to fetch, not push.

      My mother has never had a mobile me account.
      I set her iCloud account up on her Mac, and when done I went to open her iPad and iPhone to setup the mail account like normal… And her welcome to iCloud mail shows up before I unlock the phone.
      It was automatically setup on her iOS devices. Pretty slick, and still no problems.

    2. Maybe your setup. I get text, MDN, mail and voicemail updates on the lock screen, all of those today. Waiting for a calendar event coming up to see if that works ok. See no reason why not. If not, probably my incorrect setup.

    1. Thanks TimD! I was trying to put that 4 million number into perspective in my thoughts, and your post really shows how that figure is truly amazing! You triggered my memory of the Steve Jobs keynote where he noted that 10 million sales goal for calendar year 2008…did he say 1% of the global cell phone market? It is a poignant memory now…miss you Steve!

  3. I can tell You this is all true I witnessed it first hand. People bashed the fact that there wasn’t an iPhone 5 out but yet every one was in line to get it. I’m an owner of the iPhone 4s my self and think Steve Jobs and his team did a great job. Siri is my new BFF lol. #teamat&t

  4. Wow – that blew expectations out of the water. Apple really ramped up well.

    Of course now you have to wait a week or two but to shift 4M in the first weekend is remarkable.

    Also have to thank the guys at UPS for staying open late to allow me to pick up my phone. Eventually got it at 9PM on Friday. Worth the wait.

  5. Those numbers are so disappointing. Apple clearly no longer has any idea how to make a successful smartphone. If only they had redesigned how it looks and called it the iPhone 5. There’s nothing left to do now but shut down production and give all the money back to the shareholders. It’s a real shame.

  6. MW take is blog gold. I literally spit the coffee out of my mouth when I saw the blood font – and I wasn’t even drinking any at the time.

    We had lines with 2hour average all weekend at the store I am at.

    The Chief
    NavyTim

  7. So often when we lose someone who is near and dear to us, the real shock and vacuum does not hit home until the mourning is done, the official memorials have passed and all the people offering condolences and support have left. It’s only then, when life goes back to its normal routine, that you feel the absence of that someone’s familiar presence.

    This is the first time that the passing of Steve has really hit home for me. Whenever Apple used to release a statement like this one, there was always the “presence ” of Steve attached to it, if I’m making any sense here.

    But from now on, these are going to be the statements of just another impersonal company. Steve’s no longer, and never will be, in the loop.

    I hope that someone in Apple can gradually gain the kind of “Steve Jobs” personal status that always appeared to be attached to anything Apple did.

    1. “The thrill is gone!”
      I posted that right after the iPhone 4S event on October 4, because Jobs wasn’t there. I didn’t know what October 5 had in store for all of us.

      I had purchased some AAPL stocks way back in 1999, simply to support Mr. Jobs. I never expected much profit from those stocks. Decades later, I never sold a single one and it has been a very rewarding ride. I told myself year ago that I’d sell them when Steve would no longer be a part of Apple. Right now, I’m not convinced yet that he is not. I’m not convinced that the thrill is actually gone.

      I’m deeply impressed with the current Apple team, and I think Mr. Cook is doing a fantastic job. None in the Apple team has gone on any interviews, or the media rounds to talk about about Steve and Steve less Apple, yet. Their responses, so far, has been all class, respectful. I’m impressed, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

      This iPhone 4S smashing success is the bet send off/respect they can pay their departed leader.

      Thumbs up and cheers, Apple team. Well done! Well executed! Well deserved!

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