Apple sells record-breaking 13 million iPhones at launch

According to Apple, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have sold more units on its opening weekend than any other iPhone launch. The company noted that it sold 13 million units, or 3 million more than the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and 4 million more than the iPhone 5s and 5c on their opening weekends. This 30 percent jump is significant considering most analysts had viewed the 6s as a less differentiated product than its predecessors.

Of course, there is an important caveat to the numbers. In the past, the iPhone had not been available in China on launch weekend, so these numbers may be somewhat inflated compared to previous years. According to FBR & Co. analyst Daniel Ives, Apple is estimated to have sold between 2 and 2.5 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in China at launch. This means that even excluding China, the company sold between 5 and 10 percent more iPhones than last year.

This indicates that far from being a “slow” year for Apple, the company may be able to replicate its feat of increasing sales year-on-year. Several analysts have indicated growth in the range of 3 percent over the next 12 months.