Apple might be breaking all sorts of records with its sales of iPhone 5 but, apparently, that has not been enough to please the folks at the Wall Street. The Cupertino based technology giants have just revealed that they have sold over 5 million iPhone 5 handsets over the past three days. However, these figures still fell short of analysts’ expectations as Apple’s shares opened down more than 2 per cent. The reason being that the forecasters expected the figure to cross the 6 million threshold and Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray predicted that the sales may even hit the 10 million mark.

Apple CEO Satisfied With the Sales

The 5 million includes units sold through its own retail stores, those through its carrier partners’ stores, and the ones that were supplied Friday or Saturday from pre-sales on its online store which started Sept 14. Tim Cooke, Apple’s CEO, has already admitted that the demand has exceeded the supply and they are doing the best to fulfil all the orders. He said in a statement that,

“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible. While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone.”

iPhone 5 Sales To Cross Galaxy S3 Initial Sales Inside a Week

The phone was released this past Friday in nine countries around the globe including the United States, and sales should remain solid as Apple prepares it to launch in 22 more countries this Friday. And the demand has risen so high despite the initial disappointment that if you attempt to purchase the smartphone through Apple’s online site, the company now gives you a three- to four-week shipping time for the product. It took the iPhone 5’s nearest contender, the Samsung Galaxy S III, almost two months to reach 10 million sales. If Apple continues to sale the iPhone 5 at this speed, it may reach that number inside a week.