Sales of the iPhone 16 series so far are in line with Apple’s expectations: analyst
The iPhone 16 series was launched by Apple at a special event in September at Apple Park in California. The Cupertino-based tech giant’s latest smartphone series boasts features such as a powerful A18 chipset family, an improved design, an action button on all models and a new dedicated camera control button. Thanks to these factors, sales of the iPhone 16 models are said to have met Apple’s expectations.
iPhone 16 sales
In one after on X (formerly Twitter), TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo provided updates on iPhone 16 series sales. It is suggested that demand for the smartphone range, especially the iPhone 16 Pro models, has met Apple’s expectations so far and assembly orders remain unchanged.
Shipping updates for iPhone 16
1. Assembly orders remain virtually unchanged. Suppliers were asked to continue production of two Pro models during China’s National Day, indicating that demand for the Pro models has generally met expectations to date.
2. Some component orders…
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) October 9, 2024
Meanwhile, demand for the iPhone 16 Pro is said to match that of last year’s iPhone 15 Pro. It also benefits from shorter delivery times than its predecessor, which was widely reported to be in short supply in the first weeks of sales.
However, this is not the case with the basic models. According to Kuo, sales of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus remain “lackluster.” For example, Apple has reduced parts orders by a margin of 3-5 percent from mid-November, especially for the above-mentioned models.
The analyst suggests that Apple’s next focus will be on meeting US demand as Apple Intelligence – its suite of artificial intelligence (AI) features for iPhone and other devices – rolls out. The AI features are expected to arrive later this month with the iOS 18.1 update and speculation suggests October 28 is the most likely release date.
According to Kuo, iPhone 16 production could remain at 88-89 million units in the fourth quarter of 2024, similar to previously forecast numbers. If this turns out to be true, it would be slightly lower than the iPhone 15 series production numbers, which were reportedly around 90-91 million units.
