Apple faces lower than expected demand for iPhone 16 series: Ming-Chi Kuo

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have seen fewer pre-orders compared to their predecessors, while the base iPhone 16 models are experiencing increased demand, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple's new iPhone 16 series appears to be facing weaker demand than anticipated, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a report published on Medium, Kuo noted that first-weekend pre-order sales for the iPhone 16 series were down by 12.7 per cent compared to the iPhone 15 series. The decline is particularly pronounced for the iPhone 16 Pro models.

Kuo's report indicates that the iPhone 16 Pro Max garnered 17.1 million pre-orders during the first weekend, representing a 16 per cent decrease from the iPhone 15 Pro Max's launch figures. Similarly, the iPhone 16 Pro saw 9.8 million pre-orders, a drop of 27 per cent compared to its predecessor. Conversely, the base iPhone 16 models have seen increased interest, with the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus receiving 7.3 million and 2.6 million pre-orders respectively, reflecting a 10 per cent and 48 per cent increase over last year's iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models.

Despite the rise in demand for the base iPhone 16 models, Apple is experiencing an overall slowdown in demand, mainly due to the lower-than-expected performance of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models. Kuo suggests that this trend may be influenced by the fact that the highly anticipated Apple Intelligence features are available on last year’s Pro models but not on the base iPhone 15 models. Additionally, intensified competition from local Chinese smartphone brands is contributing to the slowdown.

The data mentioned in Kuo’s report is based on recent supply chain surveys and pre-order statistics from Apple’s website.

The iPhone 16 series is currently available for pre-order in India, with availability starting from September 20.