Apple Inc sold more than two million iPhone 5 in China in the first three days after the launch, setting a new record in its second largest market.
“Customer response to the iPhone 5 in China has been incredible, setting a new record with our best first week-end sales ever in China,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.
“China is a very important market for us and customers there cannot wait to get their hands on Apple products,” he said, following Friday’s launch of the new smartphone on the Chinese mainland.
Earlier reports spoke of lukewarm response.
Customers can order the latest iPhone through Apple’s online store and its retail outlets, and also buy it from resellers and stores of operator partners China Unicom and China Telecom.
The highly anticipated debut, three months later than the product’s initial launch in nine countries and regions, is widely expected to boost Apple’s sales in the fourth quarter as well as its share price, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Apple’s shares rose from $509.79 on Friday to $518.83 on the Nasdaq. They had been on a downward trend in December, dropping from $586.19 on December 3 to a one-month low of $509.79 on December 14.