Apple sells four million iPhone 4S devices in three days

Apple has sold over four million of its iPhone 4S handsets in the three days following the launch of the device.

The firm also said more than 25 million customer are now using iOS 5, the latest Apple operating system released last Thursday, and 20 million customers have signed up for iCloud, Apple's new cloud storage service.

"The iPhone 4S is off to a great start with more than four million sold in its first weekend – the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing.

"The iPhone 4S is a hit with customers around the world and, together with iOS 5 and iCloud, is the best iPhone ever."

The iPhone was first unveiled two weeks ago by new chief executive Tim Cook, and boasts a number of hardware and software improvements, including a faster A5 processor, an 8-megapixel camera and voice interaction technology called Siri.

The phone also includes improved storage capacity, with a 64GB option now available, while Apple's new iCloud service has also been launched to help users store yet more data remotely.

The phone received a lukewarm reception from analysts, but Apple's latest sales figures show consumers obviously think otherwise.

"Although when it was announced the iPhone 4S was met with some disappointment, these sales figures demonstrate the power Apple holds over the market," said Greenwich Consulting managing director Fred Huet.

"The huge sales are proof that Apple is still dominating the smartphone market. With each device that the Cupertino company launches, the queues are guaranteed to grow – along with its share price."