Apple (AAPL, Financial) finally launched the latest version of its flagship product on September 9. The smartphone will be available in two versions, the iPhone 6 and a bigger version the iPhone 6 Plus. At the launch event held at Flint Center in Cupertino, the tech giant also revealed Apple Pay and Apple Watch. Let’s focus on rounding up the facts and details of the latest iPhone.
A bigger and grander smartphone
Rumors had it that the latest iPhone from the Cupertino hero would sport a bigger screen size compared with the conventional screen size of the earlier versions, and so did happen. Apple confirmed the screen size of iPhone 6 to be 4.7 inch, while that of iPhone 6 Plus to be 5.5 inch. Powered by iOS 8, the storage space of the device would go up to 128 GB. This is the first time that Apple came out with two premium versions simultaneously, giving options to its buyers to choose from two high end offerings. The company flaunts its smartphone to be the best and most advanced version till date.
So when can you expect to get your hands on the handset? Very soon now. The iPhone is going on sale from September 19 but the company started taking pre-orders from September 11. Buyers based out of the U.S., the U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Puerto Rico and Japan can start getting the delivery of the phone from September 19. However, those based out of Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Ireland and some other places would start getting there deliveries a week later on September 26.
Record order flow
Customers might have to keep some patience for the delivery, mostly for the iPhone 6 Plus, as delivering the record number of orders might take around three to four weeks. Buyers can place pre-orders with U.S. wireless carriers as well. Verizon and Sprint are also showing delay in the shipment which could extend to more than a month. Orders have been flowing in at a phenomenal rate. Apple says that the order number has already surpassed those of the previous versions.
AT&T’s CEO of mobile and business said that orders have significantly gone past the previous record set last year. A company spokesperson Trudy Muller expressed the gush of order flow by saying:
“Response to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has been incredible, with a record number of pre-orders overnight. Pre-orders are currently available online or through the Apple Store App,”
It’s been a key practice for Apple to purposely keep the supply constrained at the time of the release of its refreshed smartphones. In addition, since the latest iPhones are bigger in screen size, some analysts believe that this could lead to production issues and result in slower deliveries. When asked about the supply chain, Apple declined to comment on it. Apple has not yet given the release date of the smartphone in China, which is the largest market for smartphones.
Parting thoughts
The iPhone is the key revenue driver of the tech goliath. The company earns more than half its revenue from the sales of iPhone, which clearly depicts the importance the smartphone holds in its revenue mix. Though there has been rising competition in this space, Apple has managed to maintain its hold in the high end smartphone. With iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the tech giant is poised to cement its dominance further.
