iPhone 5 shipments may top 40mn by this quarter

The iPhone 5 is flying off the shelves, and has already broken sales records, the most recent one being that it notched up 5 million sales in its opening weekend. As per a report by Kitguru, the iPhone 5 will top the 40 million mark in terms of the number of units shipped by the fourth quarter of 2012.

As per the report, the author Yong Lei states that Kitguru's sources in Taipei have revealed that shipments from the iPhone 5 supply chain would be ramped up in November and December. The author adds, “The iPhone 5 has sold well so far, but Apple have been dealing with low yield issues at component suppliers according to the sources. Recently the yields are improving so Apple can produce more iPhone 5 phones in the last couple of months of the year. This is ideal as it means that more people can buy the smartphone in the run up to the end of year Christmas rush.”

Entry level version available for pre-order from Airtel

This news will appease those eagerly awaiting the iPhone 5 as the device has been in short supply across the globe. Here in India, the iPhone 5 has sold out across official resellers, and those looking to get their hands on the device will need to wait for a minimum of three weeks.

Those trying to get their hands on the handset can buy it through the grey market at the same cost as the official channels, but potential buyers would also need to wait. The wait, however, is not as long, and they can get it within a day or two of placing the order.

Here is a quick look at some of the highlighted features of the iPhone 5:

• 4-inch, 326ppi Retina display at 1136 x 640 pixels,
• GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, LTE and Wi-Fi
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording, 720p front-facing camera
• 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions

Apple has teamed up with a couple of distribution channels, namely Redington and Ingram Micro to sell the iPhone 5 in India. Redington, one of the distributors of the iPhone 5 in India, revealed the prices of the handset with the base model (16GB) being launched for Rs 45,500. The 32GB version of the iPhone 5 will be available for Rs 52,500, and the 64GB model for Rs 59,500. These prices are more or less on par with the iPhone 4S from the previous generation, when it was first launched in India.

Apple has also tied up with Ingram Micro Inc, which is a large US-based distributor of technologies, as well as Redington India Ltd, a local distributor with 12,000 smaller partners across the country.

The iPhone 5 is made entirely out of aluminium and glass, weighs 112 grams and is 20 percent lighter than the iPhone 4S, and is the thinnest iPhone yet at 7.6mm. Apple has chosen to debut iOS 6 with the iPhone 5. The new OS includes Apple's own Maps app, an updated version of Siri and lots more. Overall, the new iPhone has been upgraded in almost all respects.

Know more about the iPhone 5 here.