It has only been just over a week since Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died and already we are seeing the legacy he has left behind as the iPhone 4S is well on its way to becoming the biggest selling gadget of all time.
Thousands of people queued for hours at Apple branches across the world in order to be among the first to buy their new iPhones, ignoring minor criticism by technology critics about software bugs. Sales of the gadget were so high on Friday, the first day of release, that estimates put sales this weekend at around four million handsets being sold worldwide. This would make the phone the biggest selling gadget ever, beating the record set by its predecessor the iPhone 4, which only (!) sold 1.7 million units in its opening weekend.
So many units have been sold already that the Apple share price actually jumped 3% yesterday and is expected to rise further today.
I can’t say I blame them. I’ve become quite obsessed with the iPhone 4S since I reviewed it a couple of weeks ago. (Read the review here: ‘Why Every Woman Should Own The New iPhone 4S‘) And after I’ve written this I will be straight on the phone to my carrier to see how soon I can upgrade.
Steve Jobs wasn’t forgotten in the rush though; Apple stores carried images of the man who made it all happen and customers left flowers and held candlelight vigils at the store fronts as they waited.
The world is still mourning the untimely loss of one of our greatest; Apple will be holding a memorial service tomorrow, and California has just announced ‘Steve Jobs Day’. Perhaps the runaway success of the last gadget he worked on is the most fitting tribute of all.
