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Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend

By | October 17, 2011, 6:28am PDT

Summary: Apple sold more than four million iPhone 4S smartphones in the first weekend, more than double the amount for its predecessor, the iPhone 4.

Call it a feat of Jobsian proportions.

Apple on Monday announced that it sold more than four million iPhone 4S smartphones in the first weekend. It arrived on Oct. 14 in the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany and Japan.

It’s the highest tally to date for the popular device, more than double the amount seen during launch weekend for the iPhone 4 and “the most ever for a phone,” the Cupertino, Calif.-based company claims.

A few more data points from Apple:

  • To date, 25 million users are using its iOS 5 mobile operating system.
  • 20 million users have signed up for iCloud, the company’s cloud-based media sharing service portfolio.

The iPhone 4S will be available in 22 more countries on Oct. 28 and another 70 countries by the end of the year, preparing Apple for a strong holiday (and Q4) showing.

Will natural speech recognition and a $199 entry price convince consumers to put an iPhone beneath the holiday tree? Only time will tell.

See also:

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Topics

Apple iPhone, Apple iPhone 4S, Apple Inc., Sales, iPhone 4, Smart Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Andrew Nusca

Andrew J. Nusca is associate editor of ZDNet and editor of SmartPlanet.

Disclosure

Andrew Nusca

Andrew J. Nusca does not hold any investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Andrew Nusca

Editor

Andrew J. Nusca is an associate editor at ZDNet and editor of SmartPlanet. As a journalist based in New York City, he has written for Popular Mechanics and Men's Vogue and his byline has appeared in New York magazine, The Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Editor & Publisher, New York Press and many others. He also writes The Editorialiste, a media criticism blog.

He is a New York University graduate and former news editor and columnist of the Washington Square News. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He has been named "Howard Kurtz, Jr." by film critic John Lichman despite having no relation to him. He lives in his native Philadelphia with his wife, cat and Boston Terrier.

Follow him on Twitter.

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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
non-biased 21st Oct
@Voltus Actually, it was the first weekend, not the first week.
View in thread
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Wow, good job Apple
toddybottom 17th Oct
Just goes to show you what a market with no competition looks like.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
vikkigirlliee 17th Oct
I got my free black macbook at http://getamacboook.gu.ma/
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
Bakabaka 17th Oct
@toddybottom
No it proves that Apple is so cool and hip that they sell the same phone twice, with even bigger buzz.

If I did not already have an Iphone 4, I would probably get the Iphone 4S.
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wait...
bannedfromzdnetagainandagain 17th Oct
no negative spin on zdnet? here is a proposition for a headline: 5 million new iOS 5 users refuse to use iCloud! now, that's a headline!
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There is some: look at 'narual speech recognition'
DeRSSS Updated - 17th Oct
@bannedfromzdnetagainandagain: since many Android phones do natural speech recognition, the use of such phrase in relation to Siri, which way beyond anything as basic as a mere speech recognition, is obvious attempt to negate the breakthrough AI UI, which became available by default on any device for the first time in the history exactly on iPhone 4S.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
LoverockDavidson_-24231404894599612871915491754222 17th Oct
Call it a feat of Jobsian proportions.

We will call it a feat of average proportions. It was 4 million phones spread over 3 carriers. Also with the percentage of people on smart phones this number isn't looking as impressive.
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delusional
bannedfromzdnetagainandagain Updated - 17th Oct
@LoverockDavidson_
lalalala, i can't hear you, i can't hear you!
take your fingers out of your ears. you're not a child anymore. just because you don't want something to happen, doesn't mean it isn't there.

4 million in one weekend. one weekend. by far the best selling phone on this planet, almost 150% more than the record breaking number of last year.

whom are you kidding?
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
LoverockDavidson_-24231404894599612871915491754222 17th Oct
@bannedfromzdnetagainandagain
And more people are using smart phones now than previously. Look at the ratio and I'm betting its about the same.
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Smartphone market shows about 85% Y-Y growth, so 140% growth for iPhone
DeRSSS 17th Oct
@LoverockDavidson_: ... is impressive.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
LoverockDavidson_-24231404894599612871915491754222 17th Oct
@DeRSSS
Overall smart phone growth is up, which is why you are seeing a high number. Its not that impressive.
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How growing almost twice faster than the market is not impressive?
DeRSSS Updated - 17th Oct
@LoverockDavidson_

If it would be 'the same', then iPhone 4S' sales would be 85% growth comparing to last year, not 140% growth.
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Editor
Three carriers, yes, but...
andrew.nusca 17th Oct
@LoverockDavidson_ Four million phones is four million phones. It's particularly impressive when you consider how many people were willing to upgrade out of cycle, switch carriers or even upgrade to smartphones completely for the device. Four million split across many carriers and countries, yes, but four million all the same. Is it mind-blowing? No. But for that many sold in three days, it's a result any smartphone manufacturer would accept.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
LoverockDavidson_-24231404894599612871915491754222 17th Oct
@andrew.nusca
I just can't share your enthusiasm about this as I find it less than impressive. The only reason the numbers are up is because overall smart phone usage is up. Look at it from rations and how many people were using them previously and how many are using them now.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
THavoc 17th Oct
@andrew.nusca Please don't try to use facts when talking to LD. If it's not a WinPhone (which I think STILL has not released it's numbers), it must not be doing well.
  • Flagged
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
MSFTWorshipper 17th Oct
@andrew.nusca A raw number means nothing. It's like exclaiming 450 million Windows 7 licenses mean something HUGE when relatively speaking it's just par for the course with the % growth in PC industry. Tell us how the iPhone is increasing relative to the current competition, not the previous model!
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Not understanding something
William Farrell 17th Oct
@andrew.nusca
It's particularly impressive when you consider how many people were willing to upgrade out of cycle, switch carriers or even upgrade to smartphones completely for the device

If it's on three major carriers, why would they need to switch carriers to get it? I can't see a Verizon customer leave to AT&T just to get the phone since Verizon's selling it too.

Also, people have been upgrading to smartphones for sometime now, anyone interseted in getting one probally waited the couple of months to get the latest. (I was going that route with my wife, but we had to get the iPhone4 about 4 months ago as her feature phone died ahead of schedule sad )

So was there really all that demand for the iPhone4S, or is it aboute average, with some people reading too much into it, comparing AT&T only numbers to todays?
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
non-biased 21st Oct
@MSFTWorshipper Tell us how the iPhone is increasing relative to the current competition, not the previous model!
How about you list the competitors devices that have sold a quarter of that in the first weekend let alone anything that matches those sales.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
non-biased 21st Oct
@William Farrell With the draw of Sprints unlimited plans there very well could have been customers leaving AT&T & Verizon to get the 4S on Sprint.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
dhmccoy 17th Oct
@LoverockDavidson_

If you say so, that's 3.95 million more than any Android money is likely to see in the same time frame and 3.5 million more than ALL Android phones combined in the same time frame.
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You're clearly jealous
ego.sum.stig@... 17th Oct
But, there's hope! Who knows, by this time next year Microsoft might have sold 4 (million?) WP7's.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
Michael Alan Goff 17th Oct
@LoverockDavidson_

What?

This is selling more than any phone on all carriers ever has. If this is average, does that mean everyone else is below-average?
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
LoverockDavidson_-24231404894599612871915491754222 17th Oct
@Michael Alan Goff
No it means we don't have the right numbers.
  • Flagged
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
Michael Alan Goff 17th Oct
And why do you think that?
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
non-biased 21st Oct
@LoverockDavidson_ Are you trying to claim that Apple gave the wrong numbers like Sprint did about the Evo 4G's initial sales?
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NO BRAINSSSSSSS
ZombieSteveJobs 17th Oct
@LoverockDavidson_ LOVEROCK HAS NO BRAINSSSSSSS
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
don.wright 17th Oct
"...Will natural speech recognition and a $199 entry price convince consumers to put an iPhone beneath the holiday tree? Only time will tell..."

Time has already told = 4+ Million and counting! WTH Zdnet?!

As for Mr. LoverockDavidson_ , denial is the first stage of addiction. It's ok... Just go to the Apple Store and pick one up... You know you want one...
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
LoverockDavidson_-24231404894599612871915491754222 17th Oct
@don.wright
No I don't. If I wanted one I would have gotten one, but I can't see paying $650 for any phone.
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I called this one and have been proved totally correct
toddybottom 17th Oct
Go to 9to5mac.com and find the article called "What happened to the iPhone 5?" (ZDNet is making it difficult to post links, my apologies)

I knew that Apple wanted to release the iPhone 5 but simply couldn't make it work in time and their iPhone 4S was their plan B.

This actually makes me very happy. I'll simply pass on the iPhone 4S and wait for the iPhone 5. I now feel quite bad for any iPhone 4 owner who purchased a 4S.

A big thumbs up or +1 to Apple for not rushing the release of the iPhone 5. I'm expecting it to be stellar. Hopefully by that time, Siri will have most of its bugs sorted out because right now, it is sounding like quite the major fail.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
GalacticCannibal 17th Oct
It boggles the mind, that these hand held phone devices prove, that the MTOHM "mass tide of human mediocrity" and the MTOLCD's "mass tide of lowest common denominators" are not much different to the NewZealand Sheep syndrome. Simple simple simple, and when the lead sheep goes BAAAHHH the millions follow with BAAAHHHH..Welcome to the world on mind control and blindly follow the leader. We've got nothing on those 70 million NewZealand sheep. In one thousand years hence those sheep will still be sheep, but we will be electronically embedded. living like ants with 30 billion other humans in a cyber controlled world. My family and I use the Iridium Extreme phones they never let you down where ever you are on the planet.
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So because your choice is different than say mine I'm the
James Quinn 17th Oct
@GalacticCannibal ... Sheep? Then why are you the one bleeting about "others" choices? Or us this unique in your mind to Apple? You can buy say any Android device or MS product and avoid the label sheep but purchase an Apple product no matter said devices quality and how well it meets your individual needs/wants and whamo you are sheep.

Pagan jim
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
Gnslinger 17th Oct
Apple IPhone 4s = Android wanna be
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Android isn't a phone.....
James Quinn 17th Oct
@Gnslinger... BRILLIANT!!!

Pagan jim
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
nonukez 17th Oct
@Gnslinger Well if this was true, then Apple failed miserably.
I mean come on, only 4 million sales the first week? They need to sell much, much less to meet Android phones' standards. What a failure on Apple's part.
Oh and "Android" is not a phone. You sure are a smart cookie.
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6 million in sales
sencartweb@... 17th Oct
I take pleasure in learning about this topic.Thank you for sharing some very interesting at www.sencart.com
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Like Apple iphone
sencartweb@... 17th Oct
Put all your music in the palm of your hand with an mobile or MP3 player
0 Votes
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Wow!! Apple sold more iPhone 4S in a week than ...
wackoae 17th Oct
all the MS OEMs combined sold in WP7 in a year.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
Voltus 17th Oct
VERY IMPRESSIVE !!! No design change, just small upgrades, launch several country with several operator and they sold 4 million unit in first week.
I wonder what if they launch iPhone 5 ? A new design with all user and blogger expectation. They can sell 10 million in first week.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
non-biased 21st Oct
@Voltus Actually, it was the first weekend, not the first week.
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RE: Apple iPhone 4S: 4 million in sales in first weekend
SamuelB75 17th Oct
Did you know you can get this phone and activate it on Page Plus for only $29.95 a month which INCLUDES a (small) data package? Just sayin'. See www.GetKittyWireless.com.

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