iPhone 6 Sets New Sales Record

Apple said it has sold more than 10 million new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models, a new record, just three days after the launch on September 19.  In September 2013, Apple said it sold nine million new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c models in the three days after their launch. 

The iPhone 6 handsets are available in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the U.K. and will be available in more than 20 additional countries on September 26. The new iPhones will be available in 115 countries by the end of the year, Apple added.

“Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While our team managed the manufacturing ramp better than ever before, we could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply and we are working hard to fill orders as quickly as possible.” source: Apple statement

China Mobile Opens Up Large Lead

China Mobile is now significantly larger than any other mobile operator in the world. It's annual mobile revenue is 66.4 billion British pounds (108.82 billion US dollars), compared with 52.4 billion pounds for second placed Verizon Wireless, according to the GSMA. However, the U.S. firm has a far higher average revenue per connection. Source: GSMA Intelligence statement

Sony Scales Back Mid-Range Handsets

Reconfirming an earlier forecast, Sony said it will generate 7.8 trillion Japanese yen (72.7 billion US dollars) in operating revenues in the year to March 31 (a 0.4% rise year-on-year), but said it will take an impairment charge of 180 billion yen in its mobile communications division. Responding to changes in the competitive environment, Sony said it is revising its mobile communications strategy "in certain geographical areas, concentrating on its premium lineup, and reducing the number of models in its mid-range lineup." source: Sony statement

How Apple Makes Money on Hardware

Apple unveiled the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, as well as the Apple Watch.  The iPhone 6 features a  4.7-inch display with 1334 x 750 resolution, providing 38% more viewing area than the iPhone 5s, while iPhone 6 Plus features a 5.5-inch Retina HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, providing 88% more viewing area and nearly three times the pixels of the iPhone 5s.

By way of comparison, the forthcoming Sony Xperia Z3 (one of the most advanced Android handsets) will have a 5.2-inch  display with 1920 x 1080 pixels. The Z3 features a 20.7 megapixel camera and can support 4K video recording. The new iPhones have a 8 megapixel camera and can support 1080p video at 60 frames per second (fps) and 240fps for slo-mo.

In the U.K., the iPhone 6 starts at £539 for the 16GB model, while the iPhone 6 Plus 128GB (the top of the range model) costs £789. The Sony Xperia Z3 is available for pre-order for £530 with 16GB internal memory and an microSD slot that can take cards of up to 128 GB.

No prizes for guessing who has the higher profit margins. source: Apple and Sony web sites.