Apple reports record 10 million iPhone 6, 6 Plus models sold
For Apple Inc., bigger iPhones meant bigger sales.
The company said Monday that it sold more than 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models over the weekend, breaking a company record.
The three-day total beat Apple’s previous record, set a year ago, when it sold 9 million iPhone 5s and 5c models during their first weekend available.
“Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier,” Chief Executive Tim Cook said.
Supplies were short and Apple could have sold “many more” iPhones if fully stocked, Cook said, adding that the company is working to fill orders as quickly as possible.
Around the Southland, stocks were extremely low for larger-size 6 Plus devices on opening weekend. Several Best Buy Co. and AT&T Inc. stores reported receiving no 6 Pluses. A few Apple stores had some 6 Plus phones, but they were limited to Verizon and Sprint models.
Many customers who placed pre-orders online for the new iPhone, particularly the 6 Plus, are facing shipping dates as late as November.
Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes said the weekend sales were impressive given the stock shortages, and because Apple has yet to offer the new iPhones in China; the iPhone 5s and 5c were released last year in China the same day as in the U.S.
“The key here is that the figure could have been much higher — which is obvious if you visited a store over the weekend,” Reitzes said in a research note Monday. “Our checks still point to the largest and most successful iPhone product cycle ever for Apple.”
Reitzes said he expects some improvement in iPhone production in October, and a subsequent increase in shipment rates.
Apple didn’t break down sales between the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, so it’s unclear whether the company’s Plus-size gamble is paying off.
The huge weekend sales volume for the new phones wasn’t too surprising: Last week, Apple announced that pre-orders for the two phones together topped a record-breaking 4 million in the first 24 hours. In comparison, the Cupertino, Calif., company reported in 2012 that pre-orders for the iPhone 5 topped 2 million during its first 24 hours.
The new iPhones went on sale Friday in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and Britain.
Some stores saw a flood of Chinese tourists over the weekend. At the Palm Desert store Sunday morning, the vast majority of those in line were from China.
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will be released in more than 20 additional countries Friday, and will be available in 115 countries by the end of the year.
Apple unveiled the iPhones at a launch event Sept. 9. It also introduced the Apple Watch, set to be released early next year, and mobile payment system Apple Pay.
If past years are any indication, Apple is already gearing up for another event. At its rumored October event, the company is expected to unveil new iPads, Macs and more details about the Apple Watch.
Twitter: @byandreachang
Times staff writer Michelle Maltais contributed to this report.
