iPhone shipments in the last quarter are through the roof

iPhone 6 and 6 plus have been quite the crowd pleasers it would seem. Total shipments in the last quarter of 2014 might have been as high as 69 million devices. The numbers are based on a new analysis done by Morgan Stanley.

Morgan Stanley analyst, Katy Huberty, offered her newest predictions for iPhone shipments in an investor note released on Tuesday. The newest forecast exceeded the previous two of 62, respectively 67 million shipments. The record in 2013, 51 million shipments in the final quarter, is most likely to be taken down now as the demand for the the new iPhones was much higher than the supply at the end of 2014.

The final quarter is the most relevant one, as it is the first full quarter of sale shipments for the two new iPhones, which coincided with the holiday season, the “Christmas” of retailers. The new lineup was crafted according to public demands, with a larger screen size. If the change was favorable or not, it should be reflected in the sale numbers.

The supply for the iPhone 6 has only recently met up with the outstanding demand, at least when talking about the Apple online store. Only in the second week of January have we seen the  Apple website present all models in stock with all the colors, across the four major carriers in the U.S.A.

With eyes on the current quarter that ends in March, prospects are good. Huberty stated that she believes iPhone shipments can surpass the current estimate of 50 million.  Apple suppliers are crafting more than 52 million units and Apple may be requesting even more devices to fill up their stock. The estimates seem good and they should translate in a rising preference for Apple. While smartphone market behemoth Samsung sits on top of handset sales, the Cupertino company may still have a word to say in the upcoming years.