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Could Apple's Big Weekend Have Been Even Bigger?

Some are saying Apple's gaudy first-weekend numbers could have been way better. Here's how.
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If you've seen the headlines, you know Apple had a pretty good weekend.

The company reportedly sold more than 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models in the first three days they were on sale. (Video via Apple

Which broke its previous first-weekend sales record set last year when Apple sold 9 million iPhone 5s and 5c models, also in the first three days. (Video via Apple

Some are pointing to the new phones' larger screens — 4.7 and 5.5 inches respectively — as the reason for the increased demand.  

Which could be at least part of it. It was Apple's first dip into so-called "phablet" territory, a corner of the market previously led by companies such as Samsung and LG.

But others are saying Apple's gaudy first-weekend numbers might have been more about Apple — and not only a measure of consumer demand.

As The New York Times notes, Apple's worldwide name recognition kind of makes it a shoo-in for a big weekend.

So basically whatever product the company can get into stores will likely sell. It quotes an industry analyst saying, "The first weekend iPhone sales number continues to be more about how much Apple can supply than what the demand is in the market."

And ZDNet quotes Apple CEO Tim Cook himself saying, "We could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply."

On top of that, the phones weren't even on sale in one very important market — China, where the device's release was delayed.  

Although CNBC says that might turn out OK for the company in the long run. "The delayed launch of the iPhone 6 in China is now also likely to shift from a negative to a positive, since Apple's results for the next quarter are likely to get a boost from that event as well."

According to The New York Times, iPhone sales were on the "upper end" of analysts' projections — which ranged from "6.5 million to the 'low teens' of millions of sales."