Apple announces 9m iPhone 5s and Phone 5c sales

Apple's new iPhone 5s is now out of stock in the UK.
Apple’s new iPhone 5s is now out of stock in the UK.
Apple says it has sold more than 9 million iPhone 5s and Phone 5c handsets since they went on sale last Friday.

Fans hoping to their their hands on on the firm’s new high-end iPhone 5s will have to wait until October for more stock to become available.

The firm’s online store lists next month as the earliest shipping date for the iPhone 5s and anecdotal evidence is that resellers and UK mobile networks are also largely sold out.

The phone comes in silver, gold or space grey aluminium, and boasts a 64-bit A7 chip which Apple claims makes it 40 times faster than the original iPhone.

The device offers 10 hours of talk time over 3G and 40 hours of music playback.

In a bid to boost security, the iPhone 5S also includes a fingerprint scanner in the home button which allows the user to lock the device and be sure that only they can access their data.

Shoppers interested in the cheaper, colourful iPhone 5c should have a shorter wait, with the online Apple store promising shipping within 24 hours for the 16GB and 32GB models in all five colours.

The handset features a plastic rear in a choice of colours – blue, white, pink yellow and green – made from hard-coated polycarbonate and reinforced with a steel interior.

It also offers 4-inch Retina display, the same A6 processor as last year’s iPhone 5, and 8MP rear camera.

“This is our best iPhone launch yet – more than nine million new iPhones sold-a new record for first weekend sales,” said APple CEO Tim Cook in a press statement.

“The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we’ve sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5s, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone.”

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