By Michael Calia
Apple Inc. said it sold 10 million of its new iPhone 6 and
iPhone 6 Plus devices over their first weekend in stores, exceeding
last year's total.
The phones started selling at stores Friday, beginning at $199
with a two-year contract with wireless providers. Last week, the
company said it received more than four million preorders of the
phones during the first 24 hours, which the company dubbed a
record.
To compare, a year ago, the company sold nine million iPhones in
the first weekend it sold its 5S and 5C models, while in 2012, it
posted two million preorders for its initial iPhone 5 devices.
Apple and its wireless partners, not to mention investors, have
placed high expectations on the new phones. Shares of the tech
giant have risen by about a third over the past five months,
closing Friday at $100.96.
Much of the excitement has been driven by what many see as a
long-overdue upgrade. Both the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus feature
bigger screens than previous models, finally relenting after years
of consumer and industry pressure to offer bigger devices.
Meanwhile, wireless companies lured in shoppers with incentives
and deals, such as Verizon Wireless's offer of free iPhone 6
devices to people who trade in their old iPhones and sign up for a
two-year contract.
Write to Michael Calia at michael.calia@wsj.com
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