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iPhone 4 sets Apple record


Johannesburg, 29 Jun 2010

A high number of iPhone 4 sales within the first three days have made it the best-selling Apple product at launch.

At 26 June, which was the third day of sale for the iPhone 4, Apple had sold 1.7 million of the smartphones. Apple says it took 28 days after launch to sell a million iPads.

“This is the most successful product launch in Apple's history,” said Steve Jobs, Apple CEO.

According to Reuters, the iPhone has transformed Apple into one of the world's leading mobile phone companies, boosting its margins in the process. The company has sold more than 50 million iPhones since the device debuted in 2007.

Glitches

The site adds that Hudson Square Research analyst Daniel Ernst said the 1.7 million number likely included pre-orders, which began on 15 June. It was higher than his estimate.

"No single smartphone model has been this successful," he said.

This is despite stock running out, forcing Apple to let some customers down. “We apologise to those customers who were turned away because we did not have enough supply,” said Jobs.

With more than 600 000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4 on the first day, many customers who tried to place their order for the phone before launch were also disappointed when Apple's approval systems malfunctioned due to the heavy load, according to the smartphone manufacturer.

Customers wanting the white model of the phone will also have to wait. Only the black models will be available in the meantime, and the white version will be ready in the second half of July, according to Apple. It adds that the white iPhone 4 has proven more challenging to manufacture than first anticipated.

SA waits

Apple has given no clear indication of a release date for SA.

iPhone carrier Vodacom says: “Vodacom will launch iPhone 4, the thinnest smartphone in the world with the highest resolution display ever built into a phone, in SA in the coming months.”

Vodacom executive head of corporate communications Richard Boorman says there is no further information on the South African release date. “Bearing in mind that it's only June, I'd guess that, based on 'in the coming months', it will be this year. I don't have any other details at this stage.”

Breakthrough

Apple calls the iPhone 4 the thinnest smartphone ever, at 9.3 millimetres.

“iPhone 4 is the biggest leap since the original iPhone,” said Jobs. “FaceTime video calling sets a new standard for mobile communication, and our new Retina display is the highest resolution display ever in a phone, with text looking like it does on a fine printed page. We have been dreaming about both of these breakthroughs for decades.”

Apple adds that the iPhone 4 features a five-megapixel camera with LED flash, HD video recording, Apple's A4 processor, a three-axis gyro and up to 40% longer talk time.

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