While the newly launched iPhone 16 series has attracted a lot of attention, not all models have met initial expectations. Citing analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max is significantly lower than expected.
I. Order trends of iPhone 16 models
The iPhone 16 pre-order numbers compared to last year's iPhone 15 are listed below:
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 16% off
- iPhone 16 Pro: up to 27% off
- iPhone 16: 10% increase
- iPhone 16 Plus: up 48%.
This proves that consumers are paying more attention to the standard versions. This is inevitable when the Pro line maintains a high price but does not seem to have many significant upgrades, the improvements in camera and performance are not attractive enough to stimulate users to order. Meanwhile, the two standard versions are equipped with a series of notable improvements: a more powerful A18 chip, a larger screen, an additional Camera Control button, improved battery life, diverse colors, and advanced technologies such as Apple Intelligence and Visual Intelligence.
Although the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus both saw growth, the 48% figure shows that the iPhone 16 Plus still has the most popularity, which is speculated to be due to its large screen advantage.
II. Apple's revenue and production situation
Despite the strong growth of the iPhone 16 Plus, the decline in sales of the iPhone 16 Pro has significantly impacted the total sales of the iPhone 16 series. In the first week, Apple sold about 37 million iPhone 16 units, down 12.7% compared to the iPhone 15 in the same period last year. In the context of fierce competition, other Android phone companies are constantly launching new features with strong performance, this seems to be an alarming signal for Apple and will probably be an important basis for the company to build its product strategy next year.
The only positive sign this year is Apple's production capacity. They increased the supply of iPhone 16 Pro Max by producing 6 million units before launch, up 106% from last year. This means that delivery times will not be as long as in previous years.
That said, while the iPhone 16 Pro may not be as impressive, Apple has still managed to make a name for itself with the standard iPhone 16, which is expected to be the most popular option this year.
