Apple sells 2M iPhone 5 models on
first day of pre-orders, could sell
10M by end of month,consumers are proving to have a ravenous appetite for Apple Inc.’s iPhone 5, driving pre-orders of the new smartphone to a record for the company, which has pushed back some delivery dates.
Canadian carriers are also scrambling
to keep up with demand after Apple
unveiled its sixth-generation iPhone
last week. Apple started taking orders
on Friday and by Monday said it had
sold more than two million within the
first 24 hours.
That was more than double the one
million iPhone 4S models the company sold during the first day of pre-orders when that device was launched last year and some observers think it could sell 10 million iPhone 5’s by the end of the month.
Although the major carriers aren’t
sharing specific numbers, Canadian
demand for the revamped smartphone — which will be thinner and taller and feature a bigger screen and LTE or 4G connectivity — appears intense.
Interest in iPhone 5 has been so strong that we’ve closed pre-orders
“Interest in iPhone 5 has been so
strong that we’ve closed pre-orders,”
said Albert Lee, a spokesman for BCE
Inc. Bell subsidiary Virgin Mobile
Canada has also halted online pre-
ordering. Canada is one of nine countries Apple included in the first launch date in its rollout of the iPhone 5, with shipments and in-store availability set for Sept. 21.
Patricia Trott, a spokeswoman for
Rogers Communications Inc., said the
iPhone 5 has been “one of the best
releases to date.” It was the fastest
launch on Rogers’ online reservation
system, she said, with “more
customers signing up in the least
amount of time.”
Some customers who pre-ordered
through Rogers will receive their iPhone5 on the actual launch date, Ms. Trott said, but Rogers was “just not sure how many at this point.” The company has a limited-time offer of a $50 credit for delivery more than two weeks after the launch date (for orders placed in advance) but that offer could expire.
Telus Corp. also reported a surge in
pre-order sales. “We have seen a solid
increase in orders from previous
years,” said spokeswoman Donna
Ramirez, who noted that those placing orders now can expect to get their hands on the device by Sept. 28,“though we hope to deliver sooner.”
As pre-orders charge along, an Ipsos
Reid survey published Monday showed growing love for Apple among
Canadian smartphone owners.
The polling firm has been tracking
smartphone penetration and brand
popularity through its Mobil-ology
study, which is based on four waves of research to date and sample sizes
ranging from 40,000 to 50,000
Canadian adults, polled online.
As of August 2012, Apple had cornered 29% of the smartphone market, an increase of six percentage points since the first survey was completed in January 2011.
Homegrown Research In Motion Ltd.’s
BlackBerry was close with 27% and
Samsung had 18%, while Android
devices in general (which includes
Samsung’s Android-powered
smartphones) had the overall lead with 36% of the market, according to Ispos Reid.
As for its newest device, Apple said
“demand for the iPhone 5 exceeds the initial supply” and while “the majority”of pre-orders will be delivered by Sept.21, “many are scheduled to be delivered in October.”
Michael Walkley, a technology analyst
with Canaccord Genuity, said his
weekend checks of sales showed
record pre-orders for the iPhone 5 at
the three U.S. carriers (AT&T, Verizon
and Sprint) as well as strong sales of
legacy models, which are now being
sold at a lower price point, all of which
bode well for Apple’s holiday shopping
quarter.
“Given these checks combined with
Apple’s plans for an aggressive iPhone5 ramp to 240 carriers in 100 countries by year end, we remain confident in our above-consensus December quarter iPhone estimates,” he said.
Analysts from JPMorgan and Jefferies & Co. have also commented that the
quick rollout schedule gives them
confidence that Apple will not be
troubled by supply issues.
Mr. Walkley projected the company
could ship nine million to 10 million
iPhone 5 models by Sept. 29, the last
day of the company’s fiscal 2012 year.
The tech company’s stock was up more than US$8.00 within the first minutes of trade Monday morning, edging to within a dollar of the US$700 threshold many market watchers have been waiting for. The shares closed at US$
699.80.
LINK:
www.www.financialpost.com/m/wp/fp-tech-desk/blog.html?b=business.financialpost.com/2012/09/17/apple-sells-2m-iphone-5-models-on-first-day-of-pre-orders-could-sell-10m-by-end-of-month