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The Mac Observer has been gathering the unique IMEI codes from iPhone 3G users, and using the assembled data to calculate the number of handsets that Apple has shipped.

On 5 October, The Mac Observer recorded the sale of iPhone number 9,190,680. Writing in the Bullish Cross, a blog dedicated to Apple’s financials, Andy Zaky and Turly Muller <

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assume a conservative estimate that as many as 1.5 million of these may still be in the retail channel - “an unlikely assumption” - which leaves around 7.6 million in the hands of end users, way ahead of analysts’ estimates of around four million.

Add that 7.6 million to the 2.4 million sales of the original iPhone that Apple has confirmed in quarterly results statements, and the total number of iPhone sales has now reached 10 million.

“We have determined that Apple has drastically surpassed analyst' iPhone sales estimates, and that Apple has reached its goal of selling 10 million iPhones in 2008,” say Zaky and Muller. “The consensus estimates for iPhone sales figures for Apple's Q4 (calendar Q3) were calling for approximately 4 million units. It now appears that Apple has sold at least 7 to 7.5 million iPhones in Q4 - that's nearly 80% above consensus.”