Chinese pre-orders of iPhone 6 handsets: Two million in six hours
After having to wait for the iPhone 6 launch due to a regulatory kerfuffle, Chinese citizens are apparently hyper-excited about the launch of the new handsets, pre-ordering over two million in just six hours.
What's funny about this is that the phones weren't even supposed to be available for pre-order until Friday, October 10, with initial retail sales coming a week later on October 17. All three of the major Chinese cellular carriers -- China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Telecom -- began taking orders today, piling up most of the pre-orders for the 64GB iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models. The price tag for those devices in China is around US$1,000.
Apple had previously released a press statement about iPhone 6 availability on Tuesday, September 30, with CEO Tim Cook stating that "We are thrilled to bring iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to our customers in China on all three carriers at launch. With support for TD-LTE and FDD-LTE, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus customers will have access to high-speed mobile networks from China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom for an incredible experience."
The launch numbers for the iPhone 6 handsets have been very impressive, so the company's upcoming earnings call on October 20 should be full of good news for investors.
