Retailers report huge interest in new Apple handset ahead of Friday’s release date
Carphone Warehouse has taken four times as many pre-orders for the Apple iPhone 5 than any other handset since it began trading in 1989, with Phones 4U also recording the device has broken its pre-sale record.
The iPhone 5, which was announced on September 12, was made available to pre-order last Friday (September 14) and will go on sale in the UK this Friday (September 21).
Carphone Warehouse chief commercial officer Graham Stapleton said: “Last week’s pre orders for the iPhone 5 smashed all previous handset launches at Carphone Warehouse. It was the most successful week we’ve ever had online, marking our most successful pre-order event ever with website traffic hitting record levels (up 63 per cent).
“Perhaps surprisingly, over half of the traffic on the evening of the announcement came via our mobile website, with mobile data up nearly 200 per cent. We’re witnessing a fundamental shift in the way customers access content and purchase technology, with as many people now as happy to access website content through the device in their pocket rather than the PC on their desktop.
“We also noticed that two thirds of the increased mobile traffic came from iPhones and iPads – it’s apparent that huge numbers of current iPhone users are interested in upgrading their device to the newest Apple handset.”
Phones 4u chief commercial officer Scott Hooton added: “Our customers’ excitement for the release of the iPhone 5 was undeniable but since being made available for pre-order the demand has been phenomenal. With five times as many pre-orders for the iPhone 5 as Apple’s previous iPhone 4s launch, the iPhone 5 has now officially broken all pre-order records at Phones 4u by 71 per cent.”