Apple Sold 10 Million Units of iPhone 6, 6 Plus in First Weekend

Apple sold more than 10 million units of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as the gadgets debuted this past weekend, the company said Monday.

The sales figures, which mark a new record for Apple, came as little surprise after a weekend in which legions of people in many countries around the globe lined up for hours to buy the new phones. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company bested the 9 million phones it sold last year when the iPhone 5s and 5c debuted.

“Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “We would like to thank all of our customers for making this our best launch ever, shattering all previous sell-through records by a large margin.”

Though Apple still managed to log plenty of sales, supplies of the new iPhones appeared to be straining under demand. The iPhone 6 Plus, in particular, sold out quickly.

“While our team managed the manufacturing ramp better than ever before, we could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply and we are working hard to fill orders as quickly as possible,” Cook said in the statement.

Analysts expected that Apple would enjoy a gusher of sales when it finally responded to consumers’ cries for phones with larger screens. The iPhone 6, which starts at $199 with a two-year contract, measures 4.7 inches diagonally, and the $299 6 Plus has a screen of 5.5 inches.

Apple has also said the phones have sharper displays, better cameras and extended battery life. In addition, people who purchase the new gadgets will gain access to Apple Pay, a mobile-payments service that lets customers make purchases in stores with a wave of their phones.

This article appeared in print in the September 23rd, 2014 edition of Hamodia.