iPhone 5 Sales May Reach 10 Million Units In First Week Of Release, Analysts Say

Apple is expected to unveil the next-generation iPhone on Sept. 12, and already analysts are projecting the new smartphone will sell an estimated 10 million units in its first week on the market.

The device is expect to ship Sept. 21. All Things D is claiming that Wall Street expects Apple to report sales of between 22 million to 23 million new iPhone 5 models by the end of the September quarter, and maybe even more.

Citing Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, All Thing D says the iPhone 5 could sell 26 million to 28 million units for the period, with the majority sold in the first week of the phone's initial release. "We believe that if the 21st is the actual ship date, Apple could sell 6 million to 10 million iPhone 5s in the final week of September barring supply issues," Munster predicts.

ZDNet reports that Apple sold 1.7 million iPhone 4 models in the three days following its release date, and over four million iPhone 4S devices were sold over the phone's first weekend. Though the iPhone 5 sales estimates are considerably higher than those of its predecessors, there are reasons to believe consumers will make the upgrade.

Zack Whittaker, in an article for ZDNet published Wednesday, said he believes most consumers are waiting for the iPhone to upgrade. That rush could tip Munster's estimates, Whittaker writes.

Nonetheless, Apple has sent out invitations to an event scheduled for Sept. 12, presumably about the new device. The invitation is titled "it's almost here" and features a large, black numeral "12," which stands above a more subtle, grey numeral "5."