Apple phones hit sales record

Apple sold a record 13m iPhones during the debut weekend of its latest handsets, as enthusiasts from Beijing to New York rushed to stores to be the first with the new devices.

The results were in line with analysts’ expectations and boosted by sales in China, an increasingly critical region for Apple’s business.

The company sold 10m iPhones during the debut of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last year, even though the world’s most populous country wasn’t part of the initial release.