The iPhone 14 Plus is selling better than previously thought.
Photo: Mac’s Ed Hardy / Cult
Apple’s experiment with the iPhone 14 Plus is paying off somewhat. According to the market analysis firm, the first 6.7-inch non-Pro model is selling much better than the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 Mini.
That said, the Plus reportedly suffered the weakest demand of any handset released in 2022.
iPhone 14 Plus: Better than overselling
One of the most significant changes in the iPhone 14 series was the end of the Mini and the addition of the Plus. Neither of the two iPhone mini iterations ever sold well, so Apple went to the opposite extreme and dropped its 5.4-inch model in favor of a 6.7-inch one.
The change is clearly paying off. A report released Tuesday by Display Supply Chain Consultants said Apple shipped 59% more LCD panels for the Plus last year than for the Mini. This is an indirect way of gauging demand, but it is strong evidence nonetheless that current sales of larger models are outpacing sales of smaller models in 2022.
Buyers choose the iPhone 14 Pro model instead
Clearly, Apple’s plan with the iPhone 14 Plus was to attract buyers who want a bigger display but don’t want to shell out an extra $200 for the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. But it turns out the group isn’t as big as the company thought.
This is because people are buying the top-tier models at much higher prices than before. DSCC reports that LCD panel shipments for the iPhone 14 Pro Max are 23% higher than their 2021 counterparts. Shipments of the 6.1-inch Pro grew by 22%.
This is coming at the cost of the lower priced model. According to DSCC, panel shipments of the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 declined by 36%.
“The cumulative share for iPhone 14 Pro models through April is expected to be 63% compared to a 53% share for iPhone 13 Pro models,” the performance analysts report.
Consumers are buying a higher percentage of iPhone 14 Pro models than iPhone 13 Pro models in 2022.
Chart: DSCC
Counterpoint Research also said that demand for Apple’s premium models is stronger than ever. And not just the iPhone. 2022 marked the first year that total revenue from all top-tier iOS and Android handsets exceeded the total revenue brought in by low-cost models.
So it seems that more people are willing to shell out $1,100 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max than the $900 iPhone 14 Plus. Which is a problem for Plus.
Source: www.cultofmac.com
