Neil Hughes
The iPhone 5 will debut in a total of 31 countries before Apple's current fiscal quarter ends on Sept. 29, making it the company's most aggressive launch schedule to date.
The iPhone 5 will debut in 9 countries for its Sept. 21 debut: the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Then a week later on Sept. 28, the iPhone 5 will roll out in 22 additional countries, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
In comparison, last year the iPhone 4S launched in a total of seven countries on Oct. 14, with 22 more countries added to the mix by the end of October.
The fact that the iPhone 5 will launch in 31 countries before the end of the month is an important note for investors, as Apple's September fiscal quarter concludes on Sept. 29.
Analyst Mark Moskowitz with J.P. Morgan characterized the launch of the iPhone 5 as a "fast and furious rollout." He said the fact that Apple's new smartphone will be available in a total of 100 countries with 240 carriers by December of this year is a signal that Apple can avoid potential supply chain constraints related to 28-nanometer chips and new in-cell touchscreen displays.
With just over a week of international iPhone 5 sales before the September quarter concludes, total sales of the new handset are projected to reach as high as 10 million in the September quarter if Apple's supplies are not too constrained. Last year, Apple sold 4 million of the iPhone 4S in its first three days of availability.
Chip Loder
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30 Comments
And there we have it. All the rumours about Apple not having enough units for a basic launch are proven false with 31 countries in the first two weeks.
[quote name="SolipsismX" url="/t/152559/apples-aggressive-iphone-5-launch-schedule-to-reach-31-countries-in-sept-quarter#post_2188506"]And there we have it. All the rumours about Apple not having enough units for a basic launch are proven false with 31 countries in the first two weeks.[/quote] I'm eager to see the teardown process. I wonder if this phone is more easily assembled.
I've always gone into the store and bought my phone in the past, so this will be the first time I get in on the pre-order. When they say they begin shipping on Sep 21, does that mean they leave the shipping facility then or arrive at my door then?
[quote name="tylersdad" url="/t/152559/apples-aggressive-iphone-5-launch-schedule-to-reach-31-countries-in-sept-quarter#post_2188535"]I've always gone into the store and bought my phone in the past, so this will be the first time I get in on the pre-order. When they say they begin shipping on Sep 21, does that mean they leave the shipping facility then or arrive at my door then?[/quote] I've only bought one in the store. All my pre-orders arrived at my door on launch day.
[quote name="ChristophB" url="/t/152559/apples-aggressive-iphone-5-launch-schedule-to-reach-31-countries-in-sept-quarter#post_2188534"] I'm eager to see the teardown process. I wonder if this phone is more easily assembled.[/quote] You access the front glass immediately after taking out the two screws so I would think that would be a bonus. However, with so much added into the front panel I don't think it'll be cheap to replace. I'm wagering iFixit will deem it easier to repair but more costly to buy some components.