1 million iPhone 3Gs sold; App Store downloads top 10 million

Jul 14, 2008 13:55 GMT  ·  By

Apple has announced that, despite the many problems occurring with activating iPhone 3G units with AT&T, the company was able to sell over a million new devices in the three days since its release. Additionally, Apple is also happy to confirm some 10 million software downloads through its App Store.

No surprise there - with a total of 800 applications, most of which are under 5 bucks, not to mention over two hundred free, it was an "achievable" feat from the get-go. But let's see what Apple has to say about its success with the new iPhone first.

"iPhone 3G had a stunning opening weekend," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "It took 74 days to sell the first one million original iPhones, so the new iPhone 3G is clearly off to a great start around the world."

The countries in which iPhone 3G is now available are, according to Apple: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US. The company promises to launch the new device in France on July 17th.

iPhone 3G boasts a number of enhancements that truly make it a desirable asset. Some of those are 3G networking, the built-in GPS for location-based mobile services, and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. iPhone 3G comes in two versions - an 8GB model, priced at $199, and a 16GB model (which also comes in white), going for $299. Both require a two-year AT&T rate plan.

As for the success of the App Store, Apple claims iPhone and iPod touch users have already downloaded more than 10 million applications from it since its launch late last week. Applications range from games and location-based social networking, to medical applications and enterprise productivity tools. Software from the App Store is downloaded wirelessly, directly to the device.

The App Store debuted with just 500 apps, 125 of which were free. Apple can now confirm that more than 800 "native applications" are currently available on the App Store. Over 200 of those are completely free, with 90 percent of the whole lot being priced at less than $10.

"The App Store is a grand slam, with a staggering 10 million applications downloaded in just three days," Steve Jobs said. "Developers have created some extraordinary applications, and the App Store can wirelessly deliver them to every iPhone and iPod touch user instantly."