Popular iPhone 4S Nears Sell Out

Despite poor initial reviews, the new iPhone 4S is almost sold-out in stores.

Apple Inc. sold more than four million iPhone 4S units in its first three days on the market, according to the Los Angeles Times.

That's more than double the 1.7 million sold for the iPhone 4 at launch in 2010, according to USA Today.

That sales figure is the highest of any iPhone to date during that initial three-day period, said Apple, Inc., which announced the number Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"iPhone 4S is off to a great start," Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said in a statement referenced by NPR. "iPhone 4S is a hit with customers around the world, and together with iOS 5 and iCloud, is the best iPhone ever.”

The new phone’s success comes as a shock to many after it was given lackluster reviews by the tech press, according to NPR. Many that were expecting an iPhone5 were disappointed when they found out Apple would only be updating the iPhone 4, NPR is reporting.

Apple stock even dropped 5 percent after the announcement of the iPhone 4S update, according to NPR

But despite poor reviews, "the iPhone is still the most in-demand device," Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester Research, told USA Today. "Nothing even comes close."

The record-breaking sales seem to justify Apple’s decision to offer the upgrade of the iPhone 4, rather than a complete makeover, according to techonology bloggers at The New York Times.

From the outside, the iPhone 4S looks nearly identical to the iPhone 4, but the new phone features upgraded hardware with a dual-core A5 chip (similar to that found in the iPad 2) and a new 8-megapixel camera that can shoot up to 1080p high-definition video, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The phone is nearly gone at most retailers and is even hard to order online. If you place an online order, you'll have to wait anywhere from one week until the end of the month, USA Today is reporting.

AT&T says devices will be available within 21-28 days, while Verizon offers an Oct. 28 delivery date, USA Today is reporting.

Sprint is out of stock of the 16 GB ($199 with contract) and 32 GB ($299 with contract) models, but does have the $399 (with contract) 64 GB model available, according to USA Today. 

Photo by 246-You.