Verizon Wireless is reporting that it has broken the company's first-day sales records for any device in a matter of hours.
Verizon put its CDMA version of the iPhone 4 up for existing customers to preorder online yesterday, completing the most successful first-day sales in the history of the company.
"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," said Dan Mead, president and CEO for Verizon Wireless, in a statement.
Mead also said customers will have another opportunity at being among the nation's first to own an iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network. "Yesterday's launch set the pace for next week when we open up sales to everyone across America," he said.
The general market launch of the iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network will occur on Feb. 10. According to a survey conducted by uSamp from Jan. 28 to Jan. 31, which queried over 700 smartphone users, 29 percent of AT&T customers who intend to switch to Verizon for the iPhone are willing to wait in line on Feb. 10 to get it.
Among existing Verizon customers who plan to get the iPhone, uSamp found that 24 percent report a willingness to stand in line as well.
But it's the young consumer who is most taken with the iPhone. Among AT&T customers intending to switch, 35 percent of those ages 18-24 and 50 percent of those ages 25-34 are willing to wait in line on the Feb. 10 launch day. For Verizon's current BlackBerry and Android users who report plans to switch to the iPhone, 46 percent of those ages 18-24 and 34 percent of those ages 25-34 agree to wait in line on day one.
Demand for the original iPhone 4 on AT&T was so strong that online preorder traffic actually shut down both Apple and AT&T servers. Both companies broke first-day sales records with that launch.