NEW YORK: Apple Inc. said Monday that it sold more than 1.7 million units of its new iPhone model in the first three days, making it the most successful product launch in the company’s history from the standpoint of sales.
The iPhone 4 went on sale on Thursday, June 24 in the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Japan. High demand for the model caused shortages and unruly crowds at some stores.
"This is the most successful product launch in Apple’s history," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. "Even so, we apologize to those customers who were turned away because we did not have enough supply."
Outside New York’s Fifth Avenue store, Jasmine Cordova, 25, said that given the hype and advertisements surrounding the launch, "they should make sure to stock enough."
It seems even Apple was surprised by the number of people who wanted to snap up the fourth version of the iPhone.
More than 600,000 had rushed to pre-order iPhones on the first day they were available, prompting Apple and its exclusive wireless partner in the US, AT&T Inc., to stop taking orders for pickup or shipment by Thursday’s launch. On Apple’s website, new orders weren’t promised for delivery until July 14.
Those who didn’t order in advance lined up outside Apple stores in the hopes of snagging one on a first-come, first-served basis.
Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison said demand was "off the charts," and that the company was working hard to get phones into customers’ hands as quickly as possible.
Apple is having a hard time getting enough of the new custom parts for the iPhone 4, such as its new higher-resolution screen, Marshall said.
Apple has said the white iPhone it plans to produce has been more challenging than expected, and won’t be available until late July. Only black models went on sale Thursday.
Despite heightened concerns about a short supply, the scenes at Apple stores as the phone went on sale in Japan, Germany, France, the UK and the US were familiar ones.
As was the case with last year’s iPhone 3GS launch, the eager throngs seemed unfazed by ongoing economic uncertainty.
Apple employees continued the tradition of providing bottled water, coffee, bagels and even cupcakes to people in line.
In downtown Chicago, the store handed out black umbrellas with white Apple logos for customers who waited overnight through severe thunderstorms and even defied tornado sirens that wailed around the city.
In Tokyo’s swanky Ginza shopping district, a man dressed as a giant iPhone danced and waived his arms as he made it to the front of the line.
As always, people traveled long distances to get an iPhone before their countrymen. Alex Lee, 27, flew from Dubai to join the 500-person-long line along London’s Regent Street.
Enterprising people with time on their hands found ways to make a buck. Jordan Richardson, who waited outside the Chicago store since 7 a.m.
Wednesday, sold his spot early Thursday for $500, then paid another customer $200 to get back in line. His profit of $300 was enough to cover the cost of the higher-capacity model (a lower-capacity version sells for $100 less).
Some people were drawn by the new iPhone’s thinness, its better-resolution screen and longer battery life than prior versions. The iPhone 4 also has cameras on both sides for face-to-face video calls.
Others were simply desperate.
"I have the 3GS," said Julia Glanternik, 28, a medical student in New York, "but my friend dropped it in a pitcher of beer last week."
Despite the wide demand on the iPhone 4, it isn’t flawless. It has something of an antenna problem. Holding the phone a certain way can cause the signal to fade or cut out.
According to job postings spotted by a reader of technology blog Slashdot, Apple Inc. is hiring engineers to refine iPhone and iPad antennas.
Apple isn’t saying whether these are new openings or spots that were recently vacated.
But while it’s public answer to the problem felt flip — buy a protective case, or, in a widely reposted e-mail attributed to CEO Steve Jobs, "Just avoid holding it in that way" — the hunt for experts indicates a real fix could be underway.
