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Apple lost its iconic cofounder Steve Jobs one week ago. Tributes and eulogies came from global leaders in every sphere, from politics to arts and, of course, technology.

"You can definitely see the sentiment in Silicon Valley. It's very sad," Trip Chowdhry, senior analyst for Global Equities Research, told MacNewsWorld.

Social media sites were flooded with posts quoting the Apple cofounder -- many pegged with the signature "Sent from my iPhone" or "Posted by my iPad" as a fitting end to the sentiments. Post-its lined Apple stores across the country with notes and thoughts on Jobs, and competitors Google and Samsung delayed a product launch, supposedly out of respect for their rival and trendsetter.

"Even the competitors know they would not be the same companies they are if Apple was not there. Before Apple, it was ugly phones, they weren't addressing problems and consumer demands. Now, almost every phone is trying to be an iPhone," said Chowdhry.

Apple did not respond to MacNewsWorlds' requests for further comment.

Days After Announcement

Jobs' death came just one day after Apple announced its next mobile handset, the highly anticipated iPhone 4S. Anxious users had been waiting 16 months for the latest update, which many had assumed was an iPhone 5. Some were disappointed in the improvements to the line found in the 4S, which they considered incremental.

Though the phone is equipped with all-around faster, better technology and new voice-activated features, Apple has set a high bar for itself with past product announcements, and its stock fell after the iPhone 4S' announcement.

But pre-order numbers painted a different picture. Sprint, which is joining AT&T and Verizon as the iPhone's newest U.S. carrier, announced it appeared to have sold out all of its online pre-orders for the iPhone 4S at $200. AT&T and Verizon are also on back order.

Those numbers mean the three providers sold more than 1 million devices in the first 24 hours of pre-ordering, up from the 600,000 units the iPhone 4 reportedly pre-sold.

Though that level of sales might be unexpected given the lukewarm response to the product when it was first announced, iPhone users are nothing if not loyal and eager for updates. The device will also be on sale in seven countries Friday, as opposed to five for the previous launch. By the end of October, it will be available in 22 countries.

"Phone 4S pre-order sales numbers are a reflection of the success of the iPhone and the overall size of the market. Considering the number of existing iPhone users worldwide, coupled with new carrier opportunities, such as Sprint in the United States, 1 million pre-orders doesn't surprise me, although it certainly is good news for Apple," Raven Zachary, iOS strategy and product development for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch for Small Society, told MacNewsWorld.

After digesting some of the boosts the phone offers, it's likely users were sold on the newer, faster model and technology upgrades.

"The three big features of iPhone 4S are the A5 chip -- the same chip used currently in the iPad 2 -- the improved 8 MP camera, and Siri, the intelligent voice assistant," said Zachary.

The phone isn't the only device seeing upgrades this week. The highly anticipated iCloud service, crucial in Jobs' vision of streamlining content across multiple platforms, will make its way into the mainstream market soon. The product promises to change the way data is stored over the next few years.

"iOS 5 and iCloud will be coming out this week, too. It'll be a big week for Apple customers," said Zachary.

Get in Line

News of the sales seemed to relive the downward pressure on Apple's stock. AAPL closed Tuesday at $400.29, up nearly 3 percent.

Users who didn't jump to pre-order online but still want the iPhone 4S as soon as possible will be forced to perform the Apple launch day ritual on Friday -- waiting in line. As expected, a few flagship stores, such as the Apple store on 5th Avenue in New York City, are already seeing the first few buyers line up.

Anxious customers might be more reflective this time around, though.

"While there is definitely excitement about all of the big software and hardware releases from Apple this week, we're still in a period of mourning for Steve Jobs. I suspect that the lines on Friday for iPhone 4S will have a distinctively unique tone," said Zachary.

Rachelle Dragani is a freelance reporter based in Brooklyn, NY. She enjoys staying on top of e-commerce deals, reporting on what new gadget is coming your way, and keeping tabs on anyone trying to hack into your info. Feel free to e-mail her at rachelle.dragani@newsroom.ectnews.com.

