Shares of Apple opened strongly on Thursday in New York and were trading close to their all-time high after the US tech giant presented the new iPhone5 and new iPod versions late Wednesday.

The new iPhone5 has been slated to break all kinds of sales records, according to analysts.

By the end of the year, the device will be available in 100 countries through 240 carriers, according to analysts. The iPhone 5 is currently scheduled for release in the UK on September 21st with pre-orders available on the 14th.

Shares have set an intraday high of $679.67 in the early going, very close to the all-time high of $683.29 set on Monday.

Analysts at Barclays Capital have raised their price target for the stock to $810 from $750 today. The new price target still gives the stock an upside potential of 20% from the current price.

"Apple has never been stronger," said the firm's Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook during the presentation. Judging by the stock's performance, that does not look like an overstatement.

By 11:39, shares of Apple were up 1.2% at $677.80.

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