Apple sold its one millionth iPhone, the company announced Sept. 10, just 74 days after unveiling the popular product and three weeks ahead of its own projections.
The announcement came less than a week after Apple slashed the price of the 8GB by $200, from $599 to $399. Apple also said it was lowering the price of the 4GB iPhone by $200 but would only sell the model until current supplies are exhausted.
The price cuts sparked some concern that iPhone sales were lagging, but JupiterResearch analyst Michael Gartenberg told eWEEK, “I dont think thats the case. It was probably built into its strategy long ago. Its fairly normal to see price drops, particularly when you initially sold at that high a price point.”
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Nevertheless, Apple took enough heat from early buyers of the iPhone that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company announced it would give those who paid $599 a $100 store credit.
“We cant wait to get this revolutionary product into the hands of even more customers this holiday season,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in the Sept. 10 announcement.
Sales of iPhones, combined with a new lineup of iPods, are likely to give Jobs a merry Christmas, Gartenberg said. Announced on Sept. 5 in San Francisco, the new iPods include the iPod Touch with Wi-Fi connectivity, which is essentially an iPhone without the phone and the pricey two-year AT&T contract.
“Theyve got a really broad and deep lineup for whatever motivates buyers to get into the stores,” he said.
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