Apple awaits record Black Friday sales, will donate to AIDS charity

Analysts have claimed that Apple is on target to experience record iPhone sales over the upcoming holiday season, MarketWatch revealed on Monday.

Apple also announced on Monday that it will donate a large portion of any sales profits brought in on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to the worldwide stand against AIDS.

The iPad maker has launched a two-week campaign that begins on Monday and covers a section of the App Store labelled Apps for (RED) that highlights 25 apps you can purchase knowing all proceeds will go towards funding an anti-AIDS initiative.

To coincide with World AIDS Day 2014, Apple will also extend this campaign to cover the two busiest shopping days of the year.

This includes Black Friday (28 November) and Cyber Monday (1 December).

Apple CEO Tim Cook said: “Apple is a proud supporter of (RED) because we believe the gift of life is the most important gift anyone can give.

"For eight years, our customers have been helping fight AIDS in Africa by funding life-saving treatments which are having a profoundly positive impact.”

The exact amount the company will donate has not been disclosed, but for every purchase made on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Apple has promised to gift a charitable sum.

“This year we are launching our biggest fundraising push yet with the participation of Apple's retail and online stores, and some of the brightest minds in the App Store are lending their talents to the effort as well."

The December quarter has traditionally been Apple’s most productive, and based on the high product demand the iPhone 6 has had so far, analysts have predicted that Apple 2014 will rank its most profitable holiday season to date.

The tech giant’s most recent smartphone already exceeded previous sales, shifting more than 10 million iPhone 6 units on its opening weekend.

According to Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White, these will be the most popular holidays in Apple history.

Susquehanna added that strong demand for the company’s largest-screened smartphone on record will prove a “very important driver” of Apple’s profit margin.

Last year the firm brought in 51m iPhones over the shopping season, boosting its revenue to $57.6bn.

Susquehanna said the company would produce “as much of the iPhone 6 Plus as they can”, and Apple has so far lived up to that expectation with the most recent checks estimating plans to manufacture between 60 and 65m units.