3G iPhones Already Outnumber First Generation

Despite a weak battery and questions about how fast it connects to 3G networks, some time in the next week more than 6 million iPhone 3Gs will be in people’s hands around the world. What that means is that the second generation device has outsold the original iPhone just seven weeks after going on sale. They actually may already have done so.

It took Apple (AAPL) nearly a year to sell 6 million first generation iPhones. A million 3Gs were sold in the first weekend the device was on sale—it took Apple 74 days to sell a million of the first gen iPhones.

According to our sources, Foxconn continues to build iPhones for Apple at the rate of 800,000 units per week, with production ramping up as fast as possible. (Businesweek is hearing similar numbers from its sources—150,000 a day). Apple is on pace to sell more than 40 million of the devices in the next year. At what point is it no longer considered a niche device in the cell phone world?

The best part is that iPhone App developers who are establishing a position now in the iTunes App store will be be able to ride this growth. Hold on tight.

Original post

Comments

[samij:]

content: 0% fact, 100% speculation.

2008 Aug 26 03:46 PM

[Sacto Joe:]

Hmm. I predicted one month to double the number of iPhones. Guess I was a little too optimistic.

OTOH, there is SO MUCH negative press being generated from SO LITTLE in the way of actual issues, it's bound to act a bit like an anchor. The meaningless neg press is so bad that you'd think Apple was somehow aligned with Barack Obama....

2008 Aug 26 06:46 PM

[mollytjm:]

pent up demand, which still lingers in those tied to old phone contracts is very hard to estimate. Even Apple underestimated it for this new release.
i think what's really interesting is that Apple has substantially raised the $ it's spending on R&D. so we're going to see even more interesting tech stuff coming out of them in the future...and they're opening stores abroad, into demand, and the apps store will become a huge giant.
with such an innovative, fast moving tech company, that probably has more brilliant people under one roof than any other tech, estimating is about all one can do. innovative high tech is, by it's very nature, uncertain.
nevertheless, the quality of a company is knowable...and Apple is tops and that makes it a good long term investment.

2008 Aug 27 10:55 AM

[brewer:]

Weak battery? I call FUD on that one! All the SAME FUD never affected the iPod, BTW.

Niche player? FUD alert #2! iPhone has never been a niche product, it has entered the market like a bull in a China shop. iPhone probably has 1000x the articles written about it, than any ordinary phone or supposed other 'smart' phone. The entire industry is trying to make something that at least LOOKS like an iPhone to the casual observer.

2008 Aug 28 10:53 AM