Apple has said sales of its new iPhone 5 smartphone topped five million for its first weekend on sale.
The figures beat those of its predecessor, the iPhone 4S, which sold around 4 million during the same period. Apple will no doubt be hoping to avoid the supply issues that plagued the launch of the 4S, when mobile carriers failed to keep up with demand.
However CEO Tim Cook said the company is already struggling to fulfil orders placed by gadget fans eager to get their hands on the latest iPhone.
"Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible," said Cook. "While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date."
"We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone," he added.
The iPhone 5 is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than its predecessor and features a 4-inch retina display. It also features an improved camera and LTE capabilities.
However Apple has been criticised for the quality of its Maps app, which it designed and built itself in place of Google’s Maps app, which had featured in every previous iPhone. Users have reported many important details missing as well as places labelled incorrectly.
This has not stopped users downloading and installing iOS 6 on over 100 million devices, Apple said.
