A contract-free and unlocked 16GB version of the iPhone 5C is available for USD 549 (about Rs 34,700) in the US, while an unlocked and contract-free iPhone 5S can be bought for USD 649 (about Rs 41,000).

In the July-September quarter of 2013, Apple Inc.'s smartphone sales reached 30.3 million units, up 23.2 per cent from same quarter of 2012.

"While, the arrival of the new iPhones 5S and 5C had a positive impact on overall sales, such impact could have been greater had they not started shipping late in the quarter," Gartner said.

The firm added that there has been some inventory built up for the iPhone 5C, whereas the demand for 5S has been good leading to its stocks being sold out in many markets.

Besides, the research firm said that worldwide sales of mobile phones are expected to rise by 3.4 per cent to touch 1.81 billion units this year compared to the previous year.

The firm, while giving July-September 2013

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