iPhone 16 Pro demand to be lower than Apple expected, iPhone 16 Plus up by 48% says analyst

Apple is reportedly seeing lower-than-expected demand for its high-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models, according to an analysis by Ming Chi-Kuo.

Pre-order figures indicate that these premium models are trailing behind last year’s versions, while the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have shown a significant boost in sales.

Kuo’s analysis, which was conducted over the weekend using Apple’s pre-order shipping times and a supply chain survey, highlights that the iPhone 16 Pro Max saw a 16 per cent decline in demand compared to the previous year, while the iPhone 16 Pro experienced an even sharper drop of 27 per cent.

In contrast, the iPhone 16 Plus outperformed last year’s model by 48 per cent, and the standard iPhone 16 saw a 10 per cent increase in sales. These figures suggest that consumer interest has shifted towards the regular iPhones, with particular enthusiasm for the larger Plus model.

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Despite the growth in sales for the non-Pro versions, the overall demand for the iPhone 16 lineup is down.

Apple reportedly sold around 37 million units during the first weekend of pre-orders, marking a 12.7 per cent decline from the iPhone 15 lineup’s initial sales. While the success of the iPhone 16 Plus contributed positively, it was not enough to offset the significant drop in demand for the Pro models.

Kuo pointed out that one reason Apple has been able to maintain higher stock levels for the iPhone 16 Pro Max is due to improved yields on the tetraprism camera, which offers a 5x telephoto lens.

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Apple reportedly manufactured 6 million units of the Pro Max model ahead of launch, a 106 per cent increase from last year’s production of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Looking ahead, Kuo suggested that Apple might need to adopt more aggressive strategies to stimulate market demand in 2025 if current promotions and features, such as Apple Intelligence, fail to significantly impact iPhone 16 shipments. This could involve more innovative product developments or pricing adjustments to reignite consumer interest in the Pro models.