Skip to main content

Apple iPhone Sales Top 1 Million

Apple iPhone Sales Top 1 Million

Apple introduced the iPhone on June 29; now, 74 days later, the company says it has sold one million iPhones. Initially debuting at $499 for a 4 GB edition and $599 for an 8 GB version, Apple recently dropped the 4 GB edition and slashed the price of the 8 GB iPhone to $399. Responding to early-adopters ire, Apple also says it will offer early iPhone buyers a $100 credit to ease the pain of the price cut; details are due this week.

"One million iPhones in 74 days—it took almost two years to achieve this milestone with iPod," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. "We can’t wait to get this revolutionary product into the hands of even more customers this holiday season."

Recommended Videos

To date, the iPhone is only available for sale in the United States on AT&T’s EDGE mobile network services. However, even before the iPhone’s introduction, enterprising technologists were wondering how long it would take for the iPhone to be "unlocked" from the AT&T network so (in theory) the device could be used on other compatible networks. In the U.S., that essentially means T-Mobile, but overseas, a number of international carriers run GSM services that are compatible with the iPhone’s technology, although certain features (like Visual Voicemail) rely on support from AT&T’s network and won’t work with other providers. While Apple is still working out deals to launch the iPhone in Europe, iPhoneSimFree, a software-only unlocking solution for the iPhone—is apparently available for sale now in the U.S., Australia, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. Although the legality of iPhoneSIMFree’s unlocking solution may still be challenged—and there’s always the possibility that future software updates from Apple (which we know are coming to support its new Wi-Fi iTunes store and Starbucks alliance, if nothing else) may disable unlocked iPhones—the software does give aspiring iPhone users outside the U.S. a way to do what, it seems, a million customers in the U.S. have already done.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
A new render teases the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s big redesign, and I’m torn
Leaked render of iPhone 17 Pro Max front glass and rear camera bar module.

With the iPhone 16 line, Apple made some big changes with the base models, while the iPhone 16 Pro versions looked identical to those from the past several years. But Apple appears to be making some very significant changes to the design of the iPhone 17 Pro Max — especially if these mock-up renders from a Russian YouTube channel, Wylsacom, are accurate.

The YouTube video shows that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will look nothing like its predecessors, according to the rumors that this mock-up is based on.

Read more
The most common iPhone 16 problems (and how to fix them)
i created the perfect ios 18 control center iphone 16 2

Apple's latest iPhone 16 lineup packs in some exciting new features. The latest and greatest A18 chip brings the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus duo closer to their iPhone 16 Pro counterparts than they've been in years, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max gets bigger than ever with a 6.9-inch display and the thinnest bezels of any smartphone yet.

The entire iPhone 16 family is more in harmony than ever this year, as Apple seems to have abandoned the trend of artificially limiting features like the Dynamic Island and Action Button to its Pro models, only to bring them to the standard ones a year later. Instead, this year's marquee new feature, the Camera Control, can be found on all four models. Sure, there are plenty of things that are still exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, like the 120Hz ProMotion Display and 5x telephoto camera, but those at least feel like valid differentiators for a "Pro" model.

Read more
Apple hopes foldable and thinner iPhones will boost sales
A render of the iPhone Air.

Apple's iPhone sales have declined in recent years, primarily because the company has focused more on software updates than hardware improvements. However, Apple hopes this trend will change next year, as it plans to introduce new handsets with significant design upgrades.

There has been considerable discussion recently about the upcoming "iPhone 17 Air," which is anticipated to be the thinnest iPhone ever made. It is expected to be released in September alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup.

Read more