iPhone 3GS launch record?

The iPhone 3GS launch on June 19th produced a "best-ever sales day" for AT&T's retail stores, a leaked memo is said to claim. The carrier similarly notes that it experienced its second-largest amount of one-day foot traffic, and the most transactions and upgrade eligibilities it has ever had to process. This comes despite also recording the largest-ever number of phone and feature orders through the AT&T website.

If true the achievements are notable for several reasons, such as surpassing the iPhone 3G launch in 2008, which itself drew major numbers that led to crashing activation servers. Records would further come in spite of Apple taking orders at its own stores and website, and allowing Best Buy and Walmart as third-party vendors. The 3GS can also be seen as an incremental upgrade to the 3G, mainly adding better performance.

AT&T has not published exact numbers; Apple however has announced worldwide sales of over 1 million units during the launch weekend, the greatest percentage of which are likely to have been sold in the US.

by MacNN Staff