iPhone weekend sales estimates up to 8M

Two milꦐlion-plus iPhone sales a day could keep c🐓ritics away.

That’s how fast the𝔍 new iPhones are expected to fly off store shelves starting Friday, according🐬 to Wall Street analysts.

At 💫that rate — the three-day fo⛦recasts range from a total of 5.5 million all the way to 8 million units sold — Apple’s iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S will again set records for gadgets sold on an opening weekend.

Last year, the iPhoneꩲ 5 hit 5 million units sold in its opening weekend.

This weekend is the first time Apple has two models of the iPhone for consumers — the souped up 5S wit🔥h a gold-color version in the mix and the colorful plastic 5C.

Th🧜e iPhone 5S starts out at $200 for the least expensive model with a two-year contract — or $650 unsubsidized.♚ The iPhone 5C starts at $99 with contract — or $550 without.

Apple CE🍌O Tim Cook an𒐪d design guru Jony Ive have been touting their latest and greatest devices in the days leading up to the launch.

Cook 🥀addressed concerns that the iPhoജne 5C is not cheap enough to attract the masses.

“We’re not in the junk b🥃usiness,” Cook told Blo🅷omberg Businessweek.

Apple analyst Gene Munster, with Pip🎉er Jaffray, warned shoppers to expect some supply shortages with the finely crafted iPhone 5S, which could limit opening weekend sales.

Munster’s opeꦡning weekend sales estimate is for 5.5 million units.

The iPhone 3 was th🐟e first to do 1 million in sales opening weekend; the 3GS sold 1 million; the 4 sol🥂d 1.7 million; and the 4S sold 4 million.

Today is the first time that Apple has released the iPhone in China on the same 🐎day as in the US, a move to attract buyers there and limit the grඣay market for the phones.