Apple Inc. sold more than a million units of its latest iPhone model in the first three days, the company said Monday, making it the most successful model yet.

Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning. With over 50,000 applications available from Apple’s revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever, said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO.

It was the first time he was quoted in a company statement since he went on leave for unspecified medical reasons in January. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Friday, Jobs had a liver transplant two months ago. Apple said Jobs is still slated to reurn to work at the end of this month.

Sales figure for the iPhone 3G S surpassed its predecessor, the iPhone 3G which also sold one million units in the first three days, but that model launched simultaneously in 22 countries.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster had expected the Cupertino, Calif., company to sell half a million 3G S in the first three days.

Apple also said Monday that six million customers downloaded its new iPhone 3.0 software in the first five days since its release.

Meanwhile, in a bid to increase overall sales, Apple recently cut the price of its entry-level iPhone in half, to $99, and rolled out the next-generation model for $199 to $299.

Electronics Steve jobs Jobs Apple inc.