Verizon Wireless may have sold 500,000 iPhones on the first day the Apple handset became available on Feb. 3, a JPMorgan analyst told investors Tuesday. The estimate is based on the carrier’s statement it had sold more iPhones in the first two hours than were sold on any of its previous first day events.
Analyst Phil Cusick said Verizon’s previous one-day sales record was when Google’s Droid handset became available in 2009. If Cusick’s estimate is correct, Apple is on path to break its previous first weekend sales record of 1 million sales set with the last two iPhone versions.
The initial iPhones began being delivered Monday. Presales to existing Verizon Wireless customers are set to restart Wednesday with in-store sales for everyone slated to begin at 7 a.m. Thursday. Verizon stopped pre-sales just 17 hours after they began and has not explained why the temporary halt was ordered.
Another analyst has predicted the carrier sold 100,000 iPhones in the first 17 hours. Susquehanna’s Jeff Fidicaro told investors last week the carrier could sell 2.9 million iPhones by March, or 11.6 million Apple handsets for all of 2011.
