Apple past 3M iPhone 3Gs?

Apple has already shipped over three million units of the iPhone 3G, claims analyst Michael Cote, a former T-Mobile executive. If accurate, the figure may mark extremely high sales, far in excess of general Wall Street predictions between three to four million for the whole of the current quarter. The iPhone 3G is already believed to have sold approximately half the number of units the 2.5G model sold in its entire lifetime.

Apple has claimed that it shipped a million devices within the first three days of the iPhone 3G's availability, but precise sales records have not been published, and launch shipments are often larger than subsequent ones.

Several reasons are cited for the new iPhone's success. The first of these is price, as while the product may actually cost more in the long run -- due to new text and data plans -- the initial cost has been lowered to as little as $199, luring in those put off by the $400 to $600 pricetags of the original gadget.

The iPhone 3G is also believed to be capitalizing on the appeal of touchscreen phones as a fashion accessory, something its predecessor helped usher in. Cellphones are said to frequently be treated as fashion items, the most famous example prior to the iPhone being Motorola's RAZR, which has sold over 100 million units.

International release is another major factor, as while the first iPhone was sold in just a handful of countries, the 3G variant is now in 22, and Apple is aiming towards 20 more by August 22nd. A full 70 nations are expected to have the phone by the end of the year, although Cote notes that demand is so high, Apple may struggle to expand and satisfy existing markets at the same time.

by MacNN Staff