The global trend in smartphones is larger screens, and it looks like consumers are already responding to the larger sizes of the new iPhones. Apple announced yesterday that early orders for the iPhone 6 (4.7 inches diagonally) and iPhone 6 Plus (5.5 inches) have exceeded four million in the first 24 hours of availability via online ordering. That figure is about double the number of early orders the company received online for the 4-inch iPhone 5 two years ago. The new iPhones will hit store shelves this Friday.

“By increasing the screen size of the iPhone, Apple was responding to a broad market trend: Consumers, especially those in China, are gravitating toward bigger and bigger screens on smartphones, just as they did with televisions,” reports The New York Times.

“Some financial analysts are optimistic that the early orders will amount to record-breaking iPhone sales over all. Maynard Um, an analyst for Wells Fargo, said that Apple was on track to meet expectations for sales of millions in the ‘low teens’ range in the first weekend. That would be much higher than the nine million in first-weekend sales last year for the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.”

While the new Apple Watch and the company’s mobile payments service continue to generate buzz, Apple’s earnings still rely heavily on its line of iPhones. For now, the iPhone accounts for 70 percent of the company’s profit.

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