iPhone Milestone Eclipsed by Jobs' Health

(Updates to reflect current stock price)

Apple's (AAPL Quote) Steve Jobs health charade continues as the company puts a best face on the serious challenges to the CEO's return to full-time duty.

Apple used a comment attributed to Jobs to announce that it had repeated its 3G iPhone sales debut with 1 million of the new S version sold in the first weekend.

Sales of the iconic smartphone doubled some analysts' expectations for the first three days of availability, hitting the million mark its original 3G iPhone reached its first weekend.

To promote the iPhone's roaring success, Apple provided a comment from CEO Steve Jobs, who has been on medical leave from the company since January and is expected to return by the end of June.

"Customers are voting and the $199 3GS iPhone is winning," said Jobs in an Apple press release Monday. "With over 50,000 applications available from Apple's revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever."

This is the first public comment attributed to Jobs since he left the company in January. The secretive Jobs, who had been recovering from pancreatic cancer, reportedly received a liver transplant during his leave.

Apple shares fell 1.5% to $137.37 Monday amid a market selloff and concerns by investors left in the dark about the severity of Jobs' illness and the likelihood of his return.

Apple's lack of disclosure of Jobs' cancer treatment and now liver transplant have drawn scrutiny from shareholder watchdogs who argue that the information would be material to the company and its investors. Apple has said, as recently as Sunday that Jobs is scheduled to return to the company by the end of the month.