Despite a few hiccups and stores running out of inventory, Apple was able to sell one million 3G iPhones worldwide across 21 countries its first three days on sale. During that same time, owners of both the new and old iPhone were able to download 10 million apps from the newly launched App Store on iTunes, despite major problems with the iPhone 2.0 software update disabling many people’s phones temporarily on Friday.
That brings the total number of iPhones sold since the launch of the first generation phone to more than 7 million. Apple’s goal of reaching 10 million iPhones sold by the end of the year seems well within reach. In contrast, it took the first iPhone 74 days to reach one million sales, but it wasn’t sold in 21 countries. Apple watchers will be looking for clues about what portion of sales are in the U.S., versus in international markets.
The startup community will be more interested in the download numbers. The 10-million download figure includes both paid and free apps. Apple did not offer a breakdown, but it stands to reason that the free apps made up the vast majority of downloads.
But even if 10 percent were paid downloads, though, and assuming an average price of 4.99, that would be a $5 million weekend. Not a bad start. And it could have been more than that. Seven of the top ten paid apps, including Super Monkey Ball, Cro-Mag Rally, Tetris, and Band, are $9.99. (Coming in at No. 12 is another $9.99 game, Electronic Arts’ official Scrabble, which is also coming to Facebook).
Some of the apps seem to have been rushed out too early, with reports of some of them crashing. So the launch wasn’t perfect. But the demand for the new iPhone and all the apps made for it indicated by these early numbers support the notion that people desperately want the Web and better computing experiences on their phones. Of course, we knew that already.
Impressive, indeed…
The facebook application serves as a pretty good contact manager.
Wow, good for Apple.
It s so huge, i dontk know if apple expected a so big success
The marketing works perfectly
Nath
http://www.themostpowerfulcompany.com
I would call if “worst launch ever” for a product. I suppose there was some excitement at the stores, but when you’re working from home with a totally unusable generation 1 phone for 6 hours Apple has done you wrong. They should implemented the 2.0 software update for Generation 1 users first, then released the 3g days later.
The apps are cool in the sense they certainly extend the functionality of the iphone, but really…all of this has been done before, long ago. Apple should have offered this functionality from the start.
Given all of that, I love my iphone. It’s the first phone I’ve had for a long period that I still love and am not looking forward to getting rid of 6 months later.
Going to sit back now and wait for all the comments from folks who say they’d rather wait for Android…
@4 It’s funny that a site called themostpowrflcmpy has to spam their link in the comments section of blogs. Your attempts to obscure this by adding a ridiculous comment (as if you’re really interested in the conversation) make it look even more pathetic. Not very powerful indeed…
Wow! Amazing. I got mine on Frifday and dowloaded about 15 apps so far but all FREE
anyone have stats on how 1M in 3 days compares to other phone launches and or tech toys?
Anyone else have some problems with the 2.0 software on the Gen 1 iphone? I had to do a restore because all my apps were crashing and my wifi wasn’t working correctly.
Despite the rumblings across the web about ‘poor launch’ and problems the first couple of days, the iPhone rough waters will smooth out over time, and millions more will join this happy mobile gang. I’m not on board yet, after dropping $500 on an N95, but from all I’ve heard … the richest mobile web experience is on the iPhone. Why settle for anything less? If it would only offer top notch mobile video streaming, I could carry one device. Now, I think I’ll have to carry two (N95 and an iPhone).
There’s a sucker born every minute. Does this give 1M?
The launch wasn’t really that good -
In 2007 - iPhone launches Friday evening in the US only, sells 700,000 units by COB Sunday. In 2008: iPhone 3G launches Friday morning in 21 countries, sells 1,000,000 units by COB Sunday. So one could say things are not that hot as far as sales figures go…
Wow, that’s def. another record.
I checked cipper.com from my iPhone 2G, but looks like “Google map” is not working well in Safari. can’t drag the map at all.
Hope we can do that in new iPhone 3G.
Totally agree with app quality…. see my example: http://tinyurl.com/5g2jbt
At least there are a few good ones…
“Apple’s goal of reaching 10 million iPhones sold by the end of the year seems well within reach.”
Jobs’ original stated goal was 10m phones within a year of launch - with the previous iPhone launching 12 months ago, Apple has come up 3 million short. It will surely sell 10m before 2008 is out, but that’s about 6 months extra.
Hurray more iPhone news…
Every employee of techcrunch better have an iPhone lol.
http://www.readtheanswer.com/index.php?RTA=web2
These long lines for iPhones are resulting on regular customers wanting to buy other apple products from being turned away or being asked to stay in 4 hour lines too. I went to the apple store yesterday in Phoenix to buy a new MacBookPro and some accessories and the sales person guarding the door wouldn’t even let me in. He said I’d have to wait in that line too before entering the store, even if I wanted to buy other products.
I guess my $3K planned purchase of a MacBookPro just quite doesn’t match up to the $199 iPhone. I’m seriously considering just buying a sony or dell instead.
Apple makes great products but they need to learn to treat customers better. Even asking people to stay in 5 hour lines is a joke. They should let people activate at home or something to speed up the process.
What was that earlier TechCrunch headline about an epic fail? Seriously, you guys are a bunch of clueless hacks, even when you’re not shilling for Microsoft.
All but one of the top 10 purchased apps are games - it looks like the IPhone is being used primarily as a games console.
Living in a country where the iphone is not out yet, today i bought myself an N95 8gig
so far it seems nice, having a bit of a play and adding some music as we speak
As a 1st gen iPhone users, I am content to sit this one out. Although I didn’t rush to the store for my initial purchase (actually waited until August), I had done enough due diligence to know that the iPhone would work the way it was supposed to and be worth the (albeit inordinately high) price. I knew out the gate that I wouldn’t have the fastest internet search or surf experience on the Edge network, and that I’d have to switch from T-Mobile (which I loved) to AT&T (which I hated) to use it.
I resisted the urge to jailbreak my phone too (despite my desire for all the admittedly cool things you could do with a jailbroken phone).
But, all-in-all, I have been satisfied with my iPhone. So satisfied, in fact, that the release of the 3G phone has left me less than enthused. While there may be faster speeds on the new phone generally, I’m not keen on the speed differential enough to shell out $200 for a new phone (and the apparent hassle some have experienced switch over their service).
I haven’t even swapped out my firmware for the new version. I’m, once again, waiting for the glitches that many are experiencing to be worked out (I can’t afford to be crashing or losing data)–tsch, tsch Apple.
As far as 1M iPhones sold, I can see it. Hype does things to people.
@15 Wil - actually, no. There’s been many re-stating of this ‘1st year’ number by analysts etc, but when the iPhone was originally announced, Steve Jobs said ‘10m by the end of 2008′
It’s 10 Million in 2008… here’s a pic from the original Engadget coverage.
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/.....c_0245.jpg
I order my iPhone few weeks before from German T-Mobile and on day of delivery postman told me that they are delivering 480 phones on first day in Hamburg. I was impressed. Hamburg is only maybe 3% of whole German population so by my calculation there must be around 16.000 iPhones sent by post in Germany on first day.
I assume that in T-Mobile shops they sold at least 3 times more on same day. That would be roughly 64.000 on opening day just in Germany.
I think that Nokia, Blackberrry and others have enough to worry.
One of the big strengths of Apple is that they have very clear range of products. 1 phone, 2 laptops, few desktops… Its very easy to choose.
Go to Sony shop and try to choose laptop for yourself and your head will start spinning around from all these models and after few hours of suffering you will search for some white light in the distance with Apple logo.
My wife is having old Sony laptop and I’m sending some voodoo messages that it collapses so I would have excuse to buy Mac Air.
Its for her own sake
where can i get an iphone in the valley?
Typical Steve Jobs Bullsh*t (NOT 499 dollars, NOT 399 dollars NOT 299 dollars BUT 199 DOLLARS!!! all the pretentious apple users have forgotten that lie allready) and the macolytes cream themselves…. they are such doozies. Jobs has to say this because he is in DEEP trouble… 1 MILLION devices have been sold to operators globally , this is called sell in figures…. however DESPITE all the hype and suckers out there, according to CNN only 450K have actually been activated ie sell out….. ooooooops Some customers are sitting on some serious stock somewhere boys and girls. And because Apple does not help us to sell out the device (with marketing support)… (except Jobs making Biblical statements now and then (insert obligatory Macolyte pants creaming here) We are struggling to push this… Can tell you our storerooms are full of iphone 3Gs
You know the funny thing is I actually really like Apple products. Great quality, great software… I just do not like Jobs and the general attitude of Apple users…. They tend to be quite insecure
Now they would have probably about 50 million buyers if they did not sign exclusive contracts with certain providers.
@Tom Gene (#12)
Actually, according to this article, iPhone 1.0 launch was 270k within the first 30 hours:
http://www.macworld.com/articl.....tions.html
The big issue IMO is ATT’s upgrade price of 199/299 is not applicable to existing ATT customers with more than 3 months left on current plan and non-iphones users. These customers can’t upgrade right away unless they are willing to fork out 399/499.
I got my IPhone 3G a day ago as a surprise birthday present and boy, it sure as hell is overrated. There were so so many features missing… COME ON APPLE. The list grows longer as shown at the URL below.
http://www.techxiety.com/techxiety/2008/07/meme—product—the-iphone-3g— the-greatest-hyped-product-in-2008.html
Even my old Nokia or Sony Ericsson has better features than it. More hype than hope for crying out loud. Screw consumerism! I’ll never ever vouch for an IPhone again…IPod YES, but no IPhone.
“Apple watchers will be looking for clues about what portion of sales are in the U.S., versus in international markets.”
WTF??? OMG!!! The world is larger than the U.S.? Jesus Mary Joseph; Apple made such a breakthrough discovery? What now? Maybe Hulu will find that out someday?
I’d bet at least 70% sales are outside the U.S.
So should developers rejoice over 10 Million App Downloads? I wonder…
http://www.doubleencore.com/bl.....downloads/
cant wait to my iPhone, love it!
Loved that techxiety piece #30. Below the list of missing features is a great statement on the iPhone’s “good enough factor”
The iPhone is “good enough” without all the features on that list for millions and millions of people. It will be a huge upgrade from most of the smart/media phones out there (and frankly, with the gets like the App store and browsing experience, I’d trade in some of the video and camera functionality on that missing features list).
Jobs & co haven’t made a phone for the bleeding edge of mobile web/tech savvy. They’ve made a convenient, easy to use, feature filled-phone for the majority who lean web/tech savvy but aren’t on the edge. They’ll be incredibly successful, even if some of us cry foul on these forums
I wonder how many of those “sales” counted are like me where money for the iPhone has been taken from our account but no iPhone yet? Would be interesting to know the number of acctivations, as given the policy this time it should be 1 to 1 …
Are there any total downloads that competed with, or beat, the new record set by Firefox 3?
Sorry the link above earlier regarding the missing features of the Icrap 3G was broken.. it can be found here http://www.techxiety.com
I have a friend here in office who bought 3G iPhone. We are holding our phones side-by-side, I have full signal strength (Bars as they say) and he has none!! So the 3G network is not similar in strength as the EDGE. He is pissed off right now.
Anybody has any idea what happens after the 2 year contract is over on first gen iPhones? Will apple unlock the phones? So can we switch to T-mobile or use the phone with different SIM cards in different countries?
I asked that question to Apple Customer Rep. He didn’t know anything about it and also didn’t want to inquire around. He said - iPhone cannot be unloacked !! Stupid reps.
great Iphone 16 gb is much greater. I do not know why these 3gb’s sell more than 16gb in it is first weekend. I think with the chinese competitors of the Iphone the apple is history.
Widgets man, whod’a thunk?
Yeah, if you live in a shitty part of town, you won’t get 3G and you’ll hate it, then again, you should move anyway…
@26. Is that steve ballmer disguised as buyer?
@42 Is that Sadie Mae Glutz posing as an independent thinker?
Wow that is a WHOLE LOTTA GREEN for Apple now isnt it! man!
http://www.crypt.alturl.com
Whoa!!!
Is there anything Apple can’t do? They are so great at marketing half-ass products.
@41: its next to a major office, close a major airport, in a BIG city.
Well, that’s but congratulations to all the developers of the iPhone 3G. BTW, I was one of the one million people who bought the iPhone on it first weekend of release. I was then one of the 10 million who purchased its apps. Woo! Way to go!
In fact, one million iphone 3G, and how many iphone apps?
http://blogs.digitalmediaonlineinc.com/iphone3G
The monthly bills with this 3g iPhone are goeing to be exorbitant! If you want to know how to change carriers go see here:-
http://www.abc-books.net/iphone-unlocker/
and save yourself a fortune over the year!!