Apparently IPhone’s Big Opening Weekend Shows Strong Demand. Now What?

Opening weekend sales can signal how successful a product will be, whether it’s the latest Hollywood blockbuster or the newest shiny gadget.

By that measure, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus look to be hits, with Apple reporting a sales record of more than 10 million phones in its debut weekend.

And it’s not as though the signs of anticipation were hard to miss: Apple said advance orders for the phones, which boast larger screens, set a milestone. Mobile phone carriers also reported brisk preorders.

“The launch of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on Friday marked the most successful iPhone launch in Sprint’s history,” said David Owens, Sprint senior vice president of product development. “We continue to work with Apple to meet the strong customer demand for these devices.”

But now what? The fact that Apple’s share price — which had already been moving up since May in anticipation of the new phones and its entry into wearable devices — didn’t move much this morning only goes to show you how high the bar is for one of the most valuable companies on the planet.

There are still some unknowns here. We don’t know how many of the 6 Plus it sold versus the regular 6. And we also don’t know whether this spells something positive for the forthcoming Apple Watch, which won’t be available till early next year. Also, where’s the newest version of Apple TV?

By the way, some analysts expected a weaker result, partly because of its unavailability in China, but BTIG’s Walter Piecyk came close to the mark.

The more important number will come in mid-October, when Apple reports its September quarter sales and offers Wall Street guidance for the al