iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c Sales Top Nine Million in Launch Weekend

[AppleMark]

I mean, sure they broke a record and all, but they also added several countries for the initial launch. I think that makes a big deal.

A sale is sale, no matter who or where you sell to.

If it is the case that it is new market sales, then this would dispel the notion of people saying that the new sales regions were not going to be successful because of the popularity of Android and the high purchase cost's of iPhone.

You cannot have it both ways...

 

[cube]

Someone buying a premium phone can't pony up an additional $100? I doubt that.

The 4S and 5 are cheaper, but the build is still premium compared to the market.

The 5C is well built, but it is not premium.

 

[cire]

Of course, Apple also counts SHIPMENTS in their sales announcements. The seven million (see below) iPhone 5S sold include the millions sold and still being shipped to carriers and other retailers.

Also, if you want to count both the iPhone 5S and 5C together, then you'll also want to count the Galaxy S4, S3, Note 3 and Note 2 together.



Yes, apparently store exit polls are indicating that the lines are mostly for buying the top-of-the-line iPhone 5S, not the 5C.



You bring up an interesting comparison, which is confused this year by hiding the old model in a new plastic case, and by the lack of presales for the 5S.

For example, last year, the iPhone 5 got two million presales in a day. Those presales were NOT counted in the first weekend sales figures, because they haven't been delivered yet.

Apple is smart. By not having a presale this year, they got people to line up and buy from the stores, which means more sales that can be announced right away, instead of being a not-delivered-yet count purgatory.

Presales were shipped before launch day, so why didn't they get counted. Pretty sure Apple reports shipped.

 

[redhawk87]

Yes, but considering most aren't going to be 5 --> 5S upgrades in China, this still looks good for market penetration purposes.

Regardless, I believe China is Apple's biggest market. The fact that Apple sold 2 million in its opening weekend in just ONE country is crazy. If you take opening sales + china opening sales, thats 7 million. China alone made up ~29% of that 7 million. That is almost a third. Whether this came from iPhone 5 users, iPhone 4S, or android, its still a significant number that was not factored into last years 5 million opening weekend. The better comparison would be 7 million vs. 9 million and even that is a little skewed since that 9 million accounts for 5C as well. No doubt about it, Apple did well for its opening weekend. But its not as amazing as this article (and Apple) wants us to believe.

 

[milo]

Interesting that they don't break out the two models. No question that a big part of that number is a 5c…but frankly it doesn't matter what the breakdown is, whatever the case it's a huge win for Apple. No question that 5c got off to a good start (that was the one I was skeptical about), and for a while 5s should sell as fast as they can make them.

 

[theydonotmove]

How many of each phone?

How many 5s's, how many 5c's?

 

[DotCom2]

I wonder what the sales are going to be like when the new form factor and hauling A7 chip comes out on the new iPad 5! WHOA!!!

 

[farmermac]

I scrwed up a verizon order and had to replace an order so technically I ordered 5 iphone 5s's but im returning them all and got a 5c locally... So 8,999,995 sold.

 

[blhoward2]

Regardless, I believe China is Apple's biggest market. The fact that Apple sold 2 million in its opening weekend in just ONE country is crazy. If you take opening sales + china opening sales, thats 7 million. China alone made up ~29% of that 7 million. That is almost a third. Whether this came from iPhone 5 users, iPhone 4S, or android, its still a significant number that was not factored into last years 5 million opening weekend. The better comparison would be 7 million vs. 9 million and even that is a little skewed since that 9 million accounts for 5C as well. No doubt about it, Apple did well for its opening weekend. But its not as amazing as this article (and Apple) wants us to believe.

Its not amazing in comparison to past numbers so much as it is in beating forecasts relied upon by large investors. They expected China to be a loss since the 5C was above the expected price-point. Any market penetration into China at these prices defies expectations.

 

[nioted]

So no breakdown between the two models?

I remember somewhere it was mentioned there was a 3 to 1 ratio in favor of the 5S. Here's a link of the article, its towards the end:

http://9to5mac.com/2013/09/23/aapl-...lowing-9m-iphone-sales-and-high-end-guidance/

 

[rwilliams]

I wonder what the sales are going to be like when the new form factor and hauling A7 chip comes out on the new iPad 5! WHOA!!!

iPads don't usually sell as well as iPhones, correct? You're paying full price for each of those, as opposed to the subsidized phone prices.

 

[milo]

Also, if you want to count both the iPhone 5S and 5C together, then you'll also want to count the Galaxy S4, S3, Note 3 and Note 2 together.

Those four models shipped on the same day?

 

[johnhw]

For starters, that 5 million figure last year was for ONE new phone. This years figure is for TWO new phones. Although, there probably is a slight bit of cannibalization from the 5C, I would expect a better comparison would be 5S sales vs. 5 sales on opening weekend. Another thing to point out: China's opening weekend is factored into these numbers for 5S and 5C, while they were not part of the 5's opening weekend. Wasnt there like 2 million iPhone 5's sold opening weekend in China?

The 5 million figure is for the 5, 4S and 4. Just like how the 9 million figure today is for the 5S, 5C and 4S.

 

[JGowan]

i don't get how this is news, when 60% of iPhone users (probably 80%+ iPhone 4S and 50%+ iPhone 5 users) are just upgrading "in contract" i would say the bigger question is why is it ONLY nine million?

I'd say it's news because over 9 million sold over a weekend is an enormous number and almost double last year's weekend sales.

The number is even more amazing when you consider the following. The iPhone 4S only sold 4 million for its weekend and the iPhone 4 sold 1.7 Million for its initial launch weekend.

So, 1.7M ... to 4M ... to 5M ... to over 9 Million. Something to cheer about.

There's a lot of choice these days. People aren't as die-hard as you and I. It's easy to get bored and want to try something new for a couple of years.

(Personally im in the whole number cycle, on a 5, and skipping to the 6 with my contract upgrade next year)

I'm the same cycle too, but I decided to wait for the mid-bump so that I will always have the fastest and best phone of each particular model, which will always be the S model.

 

[notabadname]

I scrwed up a verizon order and had to replace an order so technically I ordered 5 iphone 5s's but im returning them all and got a 5c locally... So 8,999,995 sold.

That was considered, and the reason Apple didn't report 9,000,005 phones sold.

 

[blhoward2]

The 5 million figure is for the 5, 4S and 4. Just like how the 9 million figure today is for the 5S, 5C and 4S.

Actually no. The 5 million is iPhone 5 handsets only. And the 9 million is 5S and 5C only.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

That was a different line of argument. The original post I responded to discussed the impressiveness of their logistics shipping 9 million phones in 3 days.

Ah. Well of course not. They flew them to warehouses around the world as they were built, not all at one time. Very risky trying to get that many of anything for a launch when there are so many external variables that could hamper shipment flow.

 

[kdarling]

You are correct based on what I understand. I've always heard that Apple counts sales strictly as phones that have actually landed in the hands of the consumer.

Nope. That's an old and long dispelled internet myth.

In fact, Apple's quarterly end users sales can and do fall short of what has been reported as sales to retailers, just as happens with any company.

When Apple quote sales, they actually quote sales. Unlike some others who only quote shipments.

Many people are confused about this. They think "sale" means just to an end user. It also means to retailers.

Apple reports a sale when it SHIPS TO a retailer. Samsung reports the same sale when it ARRIVES at the retailer.

You're absolutely incorrect. That is, unless Apple has changed how they report sold. Apple has always counted a sale to be sale to an individual and ultimate user.
...
Apple does not count shipments to Best Buy, Walmart, AT&T, Verizon stores as sales. A sale for Apple occurs only when the Best Buys of the world actually make a sale to a customer.

Apple counts shipments to retailers as sales, just like everyone else. It's in their SEC filings. Please read this old post on the topic.

Seriously, where have you guys been the past couple of years? We haven't seen so many repeats of this old myth, for a long time.

I thought phones were counted as a sale when shipped? Is this not correct? So depending on when phones ship from the orders placed on friday the number could be much higher than the 9M. So even when you add in presales from the 5 this release would still have much higher numbers.

Sounds like it's time for a review:

• Apple counts end user sales in its brick stores.
• Apple counts a shipment to a retailer as a sale.
• Apple does NOT count a shipment to an end user from its online store, UNTIL the device arrives.

It's all about transfer of ownership in Apple's eyes.

So yep, production output is critical for reporting sales. The more that can be shipped to retailers, and the more that can be sold from Apple stores or arrive at a customer's house, the more sales that can be reported.

 

[tatonka]

9 Million people did not care about the screen size..., so I do not think Apple are too worried about you upgrading (or not) right now.

Million people never cared much about the OS they were working with or the mobile phone they were using or the web browser they were using and and and .. until they finally did. If a company doesn't stay on top of their game, another company will come and steal their business.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

How many 5s's, how many 5c's?

Just so people would quit asking this, as Apple never releases that info:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1643330/

 

[kwrzesien]

If any of you guys think Apple actually shipped 9 million phones (arriving at their sales number), you know little about manufacturing. The factory doesn't have the capacity to have produced 9 million since they began final production. Nor would it make sense to have that much excess capacity the rest of the year. They'd have to idle huge portions. And storing/insuring 9 million iPhones would be horrendous.

Can you imagine the cost to insure $7.2 billion in idle inventory waiting for launch? (Assuming an average of $800 per phone.) Not to mention you would need what, twenty-five 747s worth of actual idle storage space on shelves? Insane...

That's what UPS is for...LOGISTICS.

 

[dojoman]

What a failure of a launch. Nobody wants small screen and fingerprint sensor is useless. /s

 

[johnhw]

Actually no. The 5 million is iPhone 5 handsets only. And the 9 million is 5S and 5C only.

Oh yes. You are correct. My mistake.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/09/24iPhone-5-First-Weekend-Sales-Top-Five-Million.html

 

[blhoward2]

It's all about transfer of ownership in Apple's eyes.

Under the UCC, ownership of an iPhone ordered online transfers to the purchaser upon being placed in the hands of a common carrier (UPS).

 

[Eduardo1971]

Wow. Amazing!

Major coincidence-as I'm typing this reply on my iPhone 4-I received an iMessage from the Apple Store notifying me that my new iPhone 5s has shipped and should arrive on September 26!