Apple took the stage last week at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco where it revealed three new pieces of hardware. While many expected the iPad Pro or even the new Apple TV to be this year's trump card, others knew better than to second-guess Apple's perennial cash cow.
By now, we've all read the headlines regarding the upcoming iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus: it's an evolutionary update led by a new feature called 3D Touch. There's also a faster processor, a new camera and stronger building materials yet on the outside, it's indistinguishable from last year's models. Surely Apple doesn't plan to break last year's opening-weekend sales record, right?
Think again.
Apple on Monday told CNBC that customer demand for the new phones has been extremely positive. What's more, the company revealed it is on pace to beat last year's 10 million unit first-weekend record when the new handsets go on sale later this month. Apple further acknowledged that pre-order demand for the iPhone 6s Plus has exceeded their own forecasts and they are working to catch-up as quickly as possible.
Apple likely released today's statement to help quell concerns regarding its status in China. The country's stock market has been shaky as of late while some have no doubt questioned whether an "s" model would be enough to get locals to upgrade.
If you recall, the current batch of iPhones didn't go on sale in China until mid-October. This year, the new models are launching in 12 countries simultaneously on September 25 including China and the US. Adding pre-orders from China into the mix will seemingly be enough to break the sales record once again.
Thumbnail courtesy Beck Diefenbach, Reuters