• On MovieTome: Megan Fox on TRANSFORMERS 2!
September 10, 2007 6:33 AM PDT

Apple: 1 million iPhones sold

It seems like only yesterday that Apple had sold its first 270,000 iPhones--not a bad tally for just a little bit more than the first day on the market.

(Credit: Apple)

Monday morning, a little more than two months after the much-lusted-after gadget went on sale, Apple said in a brief press release that it had sold its 1 millionth iPhone.

"One million iPhones in 74 days," Apple CEO Steve Jobs exulted in a press release. "It took almost two years to achieve this milestone with iPod."

Last week, Jobs unveiled the new iPod Touch, which mimics the look and behavior of the iPhone. He also ran into a buzzsaw of criticism by cutting the price of the iPhone by $200 so soon after long lines of early adopters plopped down a big chunk of change to be the first on the block with the gadget.

The price cut--the 8GB model now costs $399--is intended to boost sales of the iPhone during the upcoming holiday sales season. Two days after announcing the new pricing, Jobs offered an apology to the first wave of buyers, along with a $100 store credit.

"We can't wait to get this revolutionary product into the hands of even more customers this holiday season," Jobs said in Monday's press release.

Just how many hands the iPhone actually is in at this point is a little unclear, Apple's ballyhooing of 1 million sold notwithstanding. If Apple sold 270,000 or so in the waning hours of June, as it claimed, and then 220,000 in July, as market research iSuppli reported last week, that's 490,000 units. Which means the company would have needed a sales surge of more than a half-million iPhones in the six weeks or so since August 1.

Jonathan Skillings is managing editor of CNET News, based in the Boston bureau. He's been with CNET since 2000, after a decade in tech journalism at the IDG News Service, PC Week, and an AS/400 magazine. He's also been a soldier and a schoolteacher. E-mail Jon.
Recent posts from News Blog
EA Mobile, Eidos Interactive sign agreement
Sprint first to offer HTC Touch Pro
Flipping out: RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 debuts
Sprint HTC Touch Diamond outed early
Woman to virtual ex: 'I won't be ignored!'
Add a Comment (Log in or register) 58 comments (Showing first 20 comments)
Sold or shipped?
by The_Decider September 10, 2007 6:57 AM PDT
Anyone can regurgitate press releases, how about finding out the truth?
Reply to this comment View all 3 replies
Not bad - not bad at all...
by Penguinisto September 10, 2007 6:59 AM PDT
...1m high-end smartphones in less than what fits into a fiscal
quarter.

I know it'll sound weird, but I wonder how many Motorola Razr's
had sold during it's first 90 days, when they were selling at
about the same price ($500 or so?) and contract snag?

/P
Reply to this comment View all 2 replies
There seems to be some doubt...
by SteenMachine September 10, 2007 7:47 AM PDT
The last paragraph seems to question the figure. Why?

Apple sold 270K in the last two days of 2Q07. That figure is reliable.

The 220K from iSuppli is a prediction, and we have NO idea what the variability is in that estimate. The actual number could be as high as 400K in July. Most iPhone prognostications have been way off, from what I've seen.

The $200 price cut probably cause a spike over the last weekend. And back-to-school/college season was last month. These were probably a good last six weeks for Apple / ATT.

1M in 74 days? Absolutely...and Kudos to Apple.
Reply to this comment
Comments like this make me sick
by jmdunys September 10, 2007 8:24 AM PDT
Apple are lying! This is what you are saying with your sniggering
doubting comments.
You're such a knowledgeable man, I am in wonder!!!

How many Zunes were sold EVEN in the same time frame? How
many high end mobile of the same serie? Are you going to
question them all?

What's you agenda?
Reply to this comment View reply
Only last week it was 400,000 units
by Vegaman_Dan September 10, 2007 8:58 AM PDT
I think they must be pulling numbers out of the air. Last week iSuppli said they had sold 400,000 units. This week Apple says they sold 1 million phones. AT&T reports yet different numbers.

I might believe 1 million phones shipped, but somehow I doubt they sold 600,000 phones in less than a week.

Would Apple please pick one set of numbers and stick to it? Their press releases are at odds with even their business partner AT&T and come nowhere near iSuppli's numbers.

Pick one set of numbers!
Reply to this comment View reply
A graduate of the Bush school of math and propaganda.
by duggerdm September 10, 2007 9:56 AM PDT
Job's must have gone to the Bush school of math and propaganda. Am I the only one that saw the original Apple sales forecast for the first quarter of the iPhone as 4.5 million. They are way below this level - almost half of what was projected. If they were above as this article states why would they lower the price. Job's may reinvent the truth, but he isn't an idiot and he wouldn't lower the price if demand were above expectations. If he did his board should have him committed.
Reply to this comment View all 2 replies
Surely Apple are selling units to AT&T?
by mattmoo September 10, 2007 9:59 AM PDT
I am bemused by these numbers. Even more bemused by the fact that so many seemingly intelligent people making comments dont understand the number either.

If i was an Apple stockholder i would be worried. Have these 1million units been paid for? i guess thats what sold means in this day and age right? Or can i just make a load of product and put it in a shop and say they are sold to keep my investors happy? Surely if i did, my ruse would soon come out. Unless of course i dropped the price and they eventually did sell before i had to report my figures!

I can only assume that Apple are selling units to AT&T.
Reply to this comment View reply
GAAP
by regulator1956 September 10, 2007 10:31 AM PDT
People, sit back and relax.

Jobs said 1 million "sold". The only number that matters must be based off GAAP - Generally Accepted Accounting Principals.

Due to Sarbanes-Oxley laws, if the CEO of a public company reports "sold" publicly, that number must conform to GAAP or the CEO is subject to fines, prison or both.

Apple didn't state how many were activated or in consumer hands, just "sold." Once they're invoiced and shipped, they're "sold" - whether it's Best Buy, AT&T or shipped by the Apple on-line store. Sending them to sit on the shelves of a company-owned Apple Store doesn't count under GAAP until they're sold to a consumer.

(Yes, there could be later returns by AT&T, Best Buy and others, but if huge numbers came back, Jobs would have legal issues.)
Reply to this comment
There is no channel to stuff
by johnqh September 10, 2007 10:33 AM PDT
Some people are accusing Apple of stuffing the channels.

Well, Apple sells iPhone at Apple online store, Apple store, and AT&T stores. So, IF Apple were to stuff the channel, AT&T stores are the only ones they could stuff.

There are about 1800 AT&T stores. Let's say the 1M "sold" number include 21 per AT&T store as inventory (1 week supply as specified in the iSuppli report), that's what, about 38000 units?

Big deal. 3.8% of the 1M number, which would be erased in 3 days with the sales rate BEFORE the price cut.
Reply to this comment
False comparison
by bob donut September 10, 2007 10:54 AM PDT
You're creating a false comparison by comparing three different sources. Apple's numbers are the only reliable ones, because, as the other poster in this thread stated, they are legally accountable for posting accurate ones.

iSuppli is rumors and conjecture. An estimate at best. And AT&T's numbers will always trail Apples due to delayed activations, reselling, and hacking of iPhones
Reply to this comment View reply
Still not enough
by Dieds September 10, 2007 11:02 AM PDT
2 months does not make for an "early adopter." It does make us (former) Apple fans furious, though. And I'd prefer $100 in case vs. an "in-store" credit. Make that $200 in cash. Thanks for nothing, Steve Jobs.
Reply to this comment View all 2 replies
1,000,000
by Nodack September 10, 2007 11:34 AM PDT
1,000,000 iPhones sold.

Everybody that touches this device has fallen in love with it and
1,000,000 sold in less than three months shows just how
popular it has become in such a short time. Now with the price
drop and a whole new line of iPods just in time for the Christmas
rush, this is going to be the biggest season Apple has ever had.

Those of you still upset over the price drop should sell your
iPhone. There are plenty of buyers out there. You could get a
good deal on the Zune or a Razor. I would rather you go to
those chat sites to whine about things so I don't have put up with
it.
Reply to this comment View reply
Sold is Sold
by San Diego Johnny September 10, 2007 12:47 PM PDT
Commenters here are engaging in what is referred to as "fighting the hypo" as in let's suppose Apple sold 1 million iPhones.
Reply to this comment
Yup the numbers were inflated
by The_Decider September 10, 2007 2:43 PM PDT
http://news.com.com/8301-13579_3-9774804-37.html
Reply to this comment View reply
Bottom Line: iPhone is a big success
by expatincebu September 10, 2007 3:09 PM PDT
Once again all the haters and nay sayers are proven wrong. Now
look for the articles about "iPhone killers" to start to emerge.
Reply to this comment View reply
iPhone....hmmmm
by rdwalton September 11, 2007 4:22 AM PDT
I'm amazed at how you guys just run with anything and everything that comes out of Apple-world. I think those iPhone numbers are cooked much like the numbers out of the white house and congress are cooked.
Reply to this comment
Thats depresing.
by emoslayer6224 September 11, 2007 3:56 PM PDT
wow, another million apple following zombies.
Reply to this comment
In other recent news...
by bigmc6000 September 11, 2007 8:45 PM PDT
Cynics around the world began to question if Apple had sold more
iPhones than they have personally seen (generally using ranging
from 2 to 100). There is also a report of one such person doubting
that apple has sold ANY songs on iTunes because, well, Apple's the
only one with the numbers so they are obviously lying.

(Please note the sarcastic undertone ;) )
Reply to this comment View reply
Apple: 1 million iPhones sold
by maychic September 12, 2007 3:13 AM PDT
To sell 1 million iPhones in 74 days is a very impressive sales record and it goes to show that consumers have implicit faith in Steve Jobs and his company. maychic.com/pam
Reply to this comment
Um....
by ScaryMonkey69 September 16, 2007 12:29 AM PDT
So does this mean there are 1 Million people in the world with $500 to blow on a cell phone thats just a glorified Ipod with a crappy Phone Network Carrier?

Other than the touch screen, I cant see any need for an Iphone other than bragging to poor people.
Reply to this comment
 See all 58 Comments >>
Powered by Jive Software
advertisement
Resource center from News.com sponsors
You Need The Speed of Norton 2009
Introducing Norton Internet Security™2009

Click Here!
With one-click, one-minute install, under 8MB of memory usage and fewer, shorter scans, it's the fastest security suite anywhere. Norton. Smart Security, Engineered for Speed. Get a FREE trial today!

Click Here!
The Fastest Security Suite Anywhere

Experience the revolutionary Norton Internet Security™ 2009. With Norton™ Insight, a new feature, you get precision security that targets only at risk files for fewer, faster, shorter scans

Win a Trip to Space!*

Enter the Blast Off with Norton Sweepstakes for your shot at a trip to space. You could experience being fast and weightless, just like the new Norton 2009. *No purchase necessary; click for full details.

FREE Trial!

Act now to get your FREE trial of Norton Internet Security 2009. Try it for the protection. Love it for the speed

Norton Safe Web NEW!

A community-based system that rates web site safety

Norton Labs NEW!

Users can download new security technologies and share input directly with developers. Help us shape our future products!

About News Blog

Recent posts on technology, trends, and more.

Add this feed to your online news reader

News Blog topics

Featured blogs

advertisement
advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right