CUPERTINO, Calif. — Pre-orders for Apple’s iPhone 4S topped one million in a single day, the company announced Monday, surpassing Apple’s previous records and setting the stage for another successful launch from the US electronics giant.

The pre-sales report, which represented an increase of more than 67 percent over the first-day orders for the original iPhone 4 last year, signaled a flood of demand for a device that industry pundits and analysts had warned might not excite customers.

Apple was “blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, the company’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, in a written statement.

The positive orders report comes less than a week after Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died after a long struggle with cancer.

The iPhone 4S is making its debut as Apple faces increasing competition from handsets built using Google’s Android mobile operating system. Samsung is expected to introduce a device sporting a new version of Android in the near future.

The iPhone 4S’s success is still uncertain, however. The fifth iteration of the company’s smartphone includes a faster processor, better camera and voice command services. However, some observers were left underwhelmed, saying the new features were not enough of an upgrade from the device’s iPhone 4 predecessor.

Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu disputed the notion the phone is lacking, however, saying its features are compelling and noting that it is a much richer device internally.

“At the end of the day, people forget the iPhone 4 was already the top-selling phone,” Wu said. “This phone is better. The software is different. The chips are different. It is in a position to do well.”

Shares in Apple rose 5.1 percent, or $19.01, to $388.81 on the Nasdaq Stock Market Monday. The stock is up 21 percent this year.

US Apple retail stores will start selling the iPhone 4S at 8:00am local time Friday. It will roll out to 22 more countries by the end of the month.

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