iPhone 5 Pre-Orders Set New Sales Record for AT&T

Apple noted on Friday that it was "blown away" by demand for the iPhone 5, and today AT&T tells MacRumors that the iPhone 5 broke sales records over the weekend. AT&T customers ordered more iPhone 5 models than any previous iPhone, breaking records both for first day preorders and for the whole weekend.

AT&T set a sales record with iPhone 5 over the weekend, making it the fastest-selling iPhone the company has ever offered. Customers ordered more iPhones from AT&T than any previous model, both on its first day of preorders and over the weekend.

NewImage
It has become tradition for Apple to "sell out" of iPhones during its pre-order period. It did so for the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4, and the iPhone 4S, and now the iPhone 5.

In June 2010, Apple announced that it took 600,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4, a number that was "far higher" than the company anticipated and one that resulted in server issues for both Apple and its carrier partners. In October 2011, Apple had a much smoother pre-order process, taking 1,000,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4S.

If Apple follows its usual protocol, the company should announce pre-order numbers in a press release later today.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
175 months ago
On the off chance that this hasn't already gotten old:

Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Icaras Avatar
175 months ago
So much for Samsung's ad. :apple:
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rorschach Avatar
175 months ago
But the iPhone 5 is such a disappointment! /sarcasm
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jimrod Avatar
175 months ago
No, this is just Apple withholding stock! Oh wait... :rolleyes:
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
\-V-/ Avatar
175 months ago
Given that the iPhone 5 is arguably the least significant updates the iPhone has had, I'm really surprised. I know pre-orders sold out globally within just over an hour, but without knowing what availability was compared to other pre-releases, that didn't really mean a thing. However, to hear this from AT&T, especially as they no longer have the monopoly on iPhone in the US, leaves me somewhat staggered by the fact that there's still so many people out there (me included!) throwing their money at the iPhone 5.
That's a typo... right?

:rolleyes:
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MCP-511 Avatar
175 months ago
Those negative samesung ads are so effective. :p
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)