Once again the iPhone giant has outdone itself. First weekend sales of the iPhone have been estimated at almost 13 million units. This comes after last years new iPhone sold, at the time a record, 10 million units. While boosted by an added week of available pre-ordering, year over year increase in initial iPhone sales are at a massive 30% proving the demand for the device is still as incredible as ever.
The question behind what is driving such massive demand for the latest iPhone can be solved with a simple answer, China. The iPhone only recently became available in China which accounts for 30% of the world’s smartphone demand. Coupled with the transition to 4G technology, China’s consumers have gone wild for the new iPhone. While the smartphone market in China is beginning to saturate, Apple expects the demand to upgrade phones to stay as strong as ever in China as the Chinese continue to see data and network upgrades equivalent to those in the U.S..
Apple also says the new features of the iPhone 6s and larger iPhone 6s Plus have been very well received feeding the desire to upgrade current iPhones or transition from Android operating system devices. The new iPhone features “3D touch” and “live photos” which were previously not available on other devices. Apple calls these features ground-breaking and first of their kind in the smartphone market.
While hard to find, the iPhone is now on sale in stores in the United States and plans to have the device available in 130 different countries by the end of the year.