After selling through their initial online pre-order stock of iPhone 5 in roughly one hour, Apple is now reporting that the phone has smashed prior company pre-order sales records - with over 2 million iPhone 5 units sold directly to individuals (not corporate buyers) in the first 24 hours.
The initial batch of iPhone 5 orders are scheduled for September 21st arrivals at homes and businesses around the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore - with the remainder of the subsequent orders set to be delivered at various points in October.
Apple reports that the 2 million pre-order number represents double the sales of iPhone 5 predecessor, the iPhone 4S - and that the company has "been completely blown away by the customer response."
According to Philip Schiller, Apple senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing:
“iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal. iPhone 5 is the best iPhone yet, the most beautiful product we’ve ever made, and we hope customers love it as much as we do.”
Of course, few of the pre-order customers have been able to actually get hands on time with the recently redesigned device (only media at the iPhone 5 press event) - so the jury is still out when it comes to whether or not customers will "love" the phone as much as Apple designers. Apple hasn't been free of high profile product launch controversy in the past - most notably the iPhone 4 attenuation problem as well as splintering in iPhone 3G case backings.
Obviously, given the record-setting pre-order sales, most customers still consider Apple's iPhone line to be a safe bet - and few potential buyers are worried enough about launch hiccups to swear-off tossing in their money without first testing the device. That said, anyone who did purchase a iPhone 5 and is disappointed by the final product when it arrives can always take the device back to Apple - since all of the company's products are covered under a 30 day return policy (assuming the item isn't damaged).
In the immortal words/lyrics of Jonathan Mann: If you don't want an iPhone 4 iPhone 5, don't buy it. If you bought one and you don't like it, bring it back.
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Customers who missed out on the initial batch of online pre-orders can still attempt to purchase an iPhone 5 on September 21st at a local Apple store or participating mobile carrier but make sure to get there early (i.e. line up at midnight) - since potential buyers should expect to see a similarly "phenomenal" increase in traffic at retail. Check with your local store but most iPhone 5 retailers should be opening at 8:00am local time.
Still unsure about whether or not you're interested in the iPhone 5? Check out our full write-up on the iPhone 5 details and specs as well as our Apple iPhone 5 event live blog for news on the refreshed iPod Nano and iPod Touch lines.
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Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for further updates on the iPhone 5 as well as other movie, TV, and gaming news.
Continue to page 2 of this article to read the full Apple press release.
Source: Apple
iPhone 5 Pre-Orders Top Two Million in First 24 Hours
CUPERTINO, California–September 17, 2012–Apple® today announced pre-orders of its iPhone® 5 topped two million in just 24 hours, more than double the previous record of one million held by iPhone 4S. Demand for iPhone 5 exceeds the initial supply and while the majority of pre-orders will be delivered to customers on September 21, many are scheduled to be delivered in October. iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retinaâ„¢ display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*–all while delivering even better battery life.**
“iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone 5 is the best iPhone yet, the most beautiful product we’ve ever made, and we hope customers love it as much as we do.”
iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new user features including: an all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and an amazing new Flyoverâ„¢ view; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center; Passbook®, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place; new Siri® features, including support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings;*** Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari® and Maps; and Shared Photo Streams via iCloud®.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5 will be available at 356 Apple retail stores in the US beginning at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, September 21. Every customer who buys an iPhone 5 at an Apple retail store will be offered free Personal Setup service, helping them customize their iPhone 5 by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store and more, so they’ll be up and running with their new iPhone before they leave the store.
iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 will be available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, select Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S will also be available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 will be available for free with a two-year contract.****
iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Not all features are supported in all countries.
**** Availability varies by carrier.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.
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Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for further updates on the iPhone 5 as well as other movie, TV, and gaming news.
Source: Apple