iPhone 4S off to quick start; iCloud so-so

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 18 October 2011 12:11

 

Apple claims to have sold more than four million iPhone 4Ss over its debut weekend. iOS 5 and iCloud takeup got off to a good start, despite some teething problems.

 

Apple reports it sold more than four million iPhone 4S handsets over the three days following the 14 October launch. That compares with sales of more than one million iPhone 3Gs, a similar number of iPhone 3GS handsets and 1.7 million iPhone 4s in the corresponding periods.

 

One difference is that Apple added more countries to the 'first release' list for the iPhone 4GS. Where the iPhone 4 was initially available only in the US, France, Germany, Japan and the UK (with a second round of countries including Australia around a month later), the iPhone 4S debuted in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK.

That's not to suggest that Australia was solely responsible for the extra 2.3 million sales. However, Apple has been a market leader in Australia until very recently.

The iPhone family has been outselling Android until the third quarter, when Android pushed ahead. This could be partly explained by the arrival of inexpensive unlocked Android handsets from LG and Huawei at Woolworths and related outlets, as well as the debut of some rather slick upmarket models from Samsung and HTC, but according to the Sydney Morning Herald, Telsyte analyst Foad Fadaghi reckons the iPhone's dip was just temporary and caused by people delaying purchases until the arrival of the next model, which we now know is the iPhone 4S.

Apple does not disclose local figures, but it seems reasonable to assume that the new handset is pulling its weight in Australia.

What about the iOS 5 and iCloud takeup? Please read on.