Apple sold more than 1.7 million new iPhones in the product's first three days on the market, the California gadget maker said Monday after its most successful launch ever.
The iPhone 4, which features video calling, a crisper resolution screen and the ability to shoot and edit high-definition quality video, went on sale in Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States on Thursday.
Apple said it sold over 1.7 million of the devices through Saturday.
"This is the most successful product launch in Apple?s history," Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said in a statement. "Even so, we apologize to those customers who were turned away because we did not have enough supply."
Apple said the iPhone 4 will be available in an additional 18 countries by the end of July: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The iPhone 4 sells for 199 dollars in the United States for the 16 gigabyte model and 299 dollars for the 32GB model.
Carriers in the United States and France were forced to suspend early orders because of heavy demand and sales of a white iPhone 4 model have been delayed to the second half of July because of unspecified manufacturing difficulties.
Apple last week also addressed antenna problems raised by iPhone owners who complained that holding the smartphone in a certain way cut signal strength.
Apple designed silver edging on handsets to be part of the antenna system to improve signal strength.
"Gripping any mobile phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas," Apple said. "This is a fact of life for every wireless phone."
Apple advised users who experience the signal problem to "avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases."
Apple has sold more than 50 million iPhones since launching the handset in 2007.
The iPhone 4, which features video calling, a crisper resolution screen and the ability to shoot and edit high-definition quality video, went on sale in Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States on Thursday.
Apple said it sold over 1.7 million of the devices through Saturday.
"This is the most successful product launch in Apple?s history," Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said in a statement. "Even so, we apologize to those customers who were turned away because we did not have enough supply."
Apple said the iPhone 4 will be available in an additional 18 countries by the end of July: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The iPhone 4 sells for 199 dollars in the United States for the 16 gigabyte model and 299 dollars for the 32GB model.
Carriers in the United States and France were forced to suspend early orders because of heavy demand and sales of a white iPhone 4 model have been delayed to the second half of July because of unspecified manufacturing difficulties.
Apple last week also addressed antenna problems raised by iPhone owners who complained that holding the smartphone in a certain way cut signal strength.
Apple designed silver edging on handsets to be part of the antenna system to improve signal strength.
"Gripping any mobile phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas," Apple said. "This is a fact of life for every wireless phone."
Apple advised users who experience the signal problem to "avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases."
Apple has sold more than 50 million iPhones since launching the handset in 2007.
