Apple said it sold more than 4 million iPhone 4S devices since its launch in Oct. 14, a number that is set to skyrocket with the expansion of availability into more countries. Apple noted that the launch totals were more than double the number of iPhone 4 devices sold during its first three days of availability.
The device, which was unveiled earlier this month, is available domestically through the nation’s three largest wireless operators, with Sprint Nextel added to the list with the new device launch. The iPhone 4S is being sold at a fully subsidized price of $200 for the 16 gigabyte model, $300 for 32 GB and $400 for the 64 GB model. The previous generation iPhone 4 is being sold at $100 for the 8 GB model and $150 for a 16 GB model, while AT&T Mobility is still offering the even older 3GS 8 GB model for free.
None of the domestic carriers announced total sales figures, though Sprint Nextel did note that the launch of the 4S and previous generation iPhone 4 models represented its best sales day across all of its retail channels for a device family. Total sales numbers from domestic operators and that impact on results are not expected to be fully known until fourth quarter results are announced early next year, though you can bet there will be hints noted during the upcoming third-quarter conference calls set to begin in the coming weeks.
The iPhone 4S is currently available in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom, with planned expansion to 22 more countries on Oct. 28 and more than 70 countries by the end of the year. Upcoming market launches will include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The iPhone’s international expansion could be held up in a few markets by Samsung, which has filed a patent lawsuit looking to block the sale of the device in Japan and Australia. The two device giants have been feuding for months over patent claims in markets around the world.
Though expanding in breadth, the availability of the iPhone will not run any deeper in the United States as only the three largest operators will continue to have access to the device. While those three currently serve more than 80% of the nation’s wireless customers, dozens of smaller operators can still not offer the device to their customers.
In addition to pushing a lot of hardware, Apple said more than 25 million customers were now using its iOS 5 operating systems across mobile devices and that more than 20 million customers had signed up for its recently launched iCloud service.
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