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Verizon: iPhone sets first-day sales record

The company says it sold more iPhones in the first two hours they were available for preorder than any other phone on any launch day in its history.

Jim Dalrymple Special to CNET News
Jim Dalrymple has followed Apple and the Mac industry for the last 15 years, first as part of MacCentral and then in various positions at Macworld. Jim also writes about the professional audio market, examining the best ways to record music using a Macintosh. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. He currently runs The Loop.
Jim Dalrymple

Verizon today said that it has suspended preorders of the iPhone 4 after registering what it called the most successful first-day sales in the company's history.

The long-awaited smartphone was made available yesterday for preordering by existing Verizon customers; that is, people who already had a phone with the company and were switching to the iPhone 4. The arrival of the Verizon version of the Apple iPhone marks the end to an exclusive arrangement between Apple and AT&T.

"This was an exciting day," said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless. "In just our first two hours, we had already sold more phones than any first day launch in our history. And, when you consider these initial orders were placed between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., it is an incredible success story."

Verizon did not disclose how many iPhones were sold, but yesterday said it had set aside a "limited quantity" of iPhone 4 devices for preorder. According to a report, some buyers have received FedEx tracking statements saying their shipments are due to arrive February 7.

The company will begin selling the iPhone 4 to the general public on February 10. It will open its 2,000 retail locations at 7 a.m. to accommodate customers who want to order the device.

See also: CNET Review: Verizon iPhone