The Apple iPhone 5C went on sale through preorders Friday, but Apple is keeping unusually quiet and is keeping the preorder figures secret. Have the preorders surpassed those of the iPhone 5 last year?

For the first time since the 2009 introduction of the iPhone 3GS, Apple is keeping quiet on how many iPhone 5C phones were sold through preorders in the first 24 hours, CNET reports.

In the past, the company published the first-day figures in an early-morning press release on the Monday following the Friday start of sales.

Some are suggesting Apple is keeping quiet on iPhone 5C preorder figures because the sales may not be as impressive compared to the release of their previous smartphones, CNET reports.

However, Citi Research analyst Glen Yeung said Monday night that preorders of the Apple iPhone 5C likely came in at around 2.2 million units during the phone's first 24 hours of preorder availability, CNET reported, according to BGN.

That figure would mean that 5C preorders surpassed the 2 million units Apple's iPhone 5 racked up last year during its first 24 hours of pre-sales, BGN reports.

So another reason that Apple is keeping the iPhone 5C preorder figure secret is because this year, unlike previous years, Apple is launching two new devices. That includes the less-expensive 5C and the higher-end 5S, both of which are a replacement to last year's iPhone 5, which has been discontinued, CNET reports.

Yeung estimated that combined global iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C sales through the end of launch weekend will likely total about 7.75 million units, which would top the 5 million iPhone 5 handsets Apple sold during its opening weekend last year, BGN reports.

Separately, the analyst believes 5C sales will total 4.5 million units while sales of the more expensive iPhone 5S will reach 3.2 million units.