Apple sells 9 million iPhones in first three days of availability

CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Apple, Inc. sold 9 million of its latest iPhones in the first three days they were on the shelves, a company record, the Cupertino, Calif., company said.

The iPhone 5S and iOS 7 became available Friday, and the new features help keep the smartphone in the top spot on the market, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Apple officials said quarterly revenue and margins should be near the high end of its previous forecast. In July, the company projected revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter between $34 billion and $37 billion and gross margin of between 36 percent and 37 percent.

"The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible," Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in a statement.

Apple said it sold out of its initial supplies of the pricier iPhone 5S but declined to say when more may be available, the Journal said.

The 9 million iPhones sold during the weekend topped the company's previous record of more than 5 million phones sold when the iPhone 5 launched last year.