JOIN US Apple on Monday said that it has received more than two million orders for its new iPhone 5 in 24 hours, and that many deliveries would be pushed back into October because of strong demand.
A majority of pre-ordered phones will be delivered as planned by September 21, but many will not be delivered until October, it said.
“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. Shipping dates for the slimmer, faster smartphone slipped by a week within an hour of the start of pre-orders.
Apple unveiled the new version of its iconic smartphone last Wednesday and opened up pre-orders on Friday. The first customers in the United States and several other countries are expected to get the device September 21, but Apple said some would have to wait.
Surplus demand
“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,” an Apple statement said.
The iPhone 5 will be available from the Apple Online Store and its retail stores, and for US customers through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart stores and other resellers.
AT&T, the No 2 U S mobile service provider, said it set a sales record with the iPhone 5 over the weekend, making it the fastest-selling iPhone the company has ever offered.
AT&T did not disclose how many iPhones it sold but said the iPhone 5 was still available for pre-order and would go on sale September 21 at AT&T retail stores.
Apple previously said it would start shipping the iPhone 5 by September 21 in the United States and most of the major markets of Europe such as France, Germany and the UK. It goes on sale September 28 in 22 other countries.
Analysts have forecast that more than 30 million iPhones, including older models, will be sold by the end of September. Sales of iPhones account for more than half of Apple's revenue.