Apple quickly put an end to doubt as to iPhone 4S demand with word that it had taken over one million pre-orders in just one day. The rush was two thirds higher than the 600,000 iPhone 4 preorders. The company claimed it as an all-time record for any Apple product, not just the iPhone.
“We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S,” Senior Worldwide Product Marketing VP Phil Schiller said. “The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched and we are thrilled that customers love iPhone 4S as much as we do.”
The company may have been helped by an unusually long update cycle. The iPhone 4S is the first iPhone to miss the summer and has about three months of possibly pent-up demand to stoke interest. It’s also taking advantage of a considerably larger ownership base, where many are trading up from an iPhone 3G or 3GS, and has access to both Sprint and Verizon customers where it was AT&T-only in the US last year.
The results could still be promising for Apple, which faced mixed analyst reactions on launch. Some had been concerned that the upgrade, by using the familiar design, wouldn’t be enough to entice users. A concern still survives that Apple may have missed out on some sales from those who upgraded every year.
Rapid sales could be vital for Apple, which is in a race with Samsung to claim the title of the top smartphone maker in the world. Samsung will be depending mostly on the expansion of of the Galaxy S II into the US where Apple may have the advantage of a worldwide launch.
