Apple said it sold 10 million of its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices over their first weekend in stores, exceeding last year’s total.
The phones started selling at stores Friday, beginning at $199 with a two-year contract with wireless providers. Last week, the company said it received more than 4 million preorders of the phones during the first 24 hours, which the company dubbed a record.
To compare, a year ago, Apple sold 9 million iPhones in the first weekend it sold its 5s and 5c models, while in 2012, it posted 2 million preorders for its initial iPhone 5 devices.
Apple and its wireless partners, not to mention investors, have placed high expectations on the new phones. Shares of the tech giant have risen by about a third over the past five months, closing Friday at $100.96.
Much of the excitement has been driven by what many see as a long-overdue upgrade. Both the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus feature bigger screens than previous models, finally relenting after years of consumer and industry pressure to offer bigger devices.
