They stood in line all night long. Some camped out in front of the Apple Store for an entire week. Others secured a spot in front, then sold it to the highest bidder. But today, the wait is over!
The new iPhone 4 from Apple arrives in stores and in homes today, much to the fanfare of anyone with an affinity for Apple’s special brand of technology. And for the select few who happened to get their hands on an iPhone 4 a day early, the reviews are spectacular:
“It’s huge. You get a new form factor—a new physical design—plus you get the new software features,” said Shaw Wu, an industry analyst with Kaufman Bros. “That typically drives a very powerful upgrade cycle.” He forecasts sales of 9 million phones during this quarter, and up to 40 million phones sold by year’s end. If his predictions are correct, it would represent a staggering growth above the 24.9 million phones Apple sold in 2009.
And that success would be well-earned, observers say.
“This is the best iPhone that Apple has ever created,” said Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies. “I believe it will become the gold standard for smartphones.”
