Apple chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that pre-orders for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have been “poor,” suggesting that Apple’s positioning of the two new standard models may have failed. In his latest post on Medium, Kuo explains that pre-orders for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are “neutral” and “good” compared to the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
More than four weeks of delivery wait times could indicate good demand for the new high-end devices, and it’s “unclear” whether Apple will increase its shipment forecast for the Pro model, but there’s a “growing likelihood” it will cut orders for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, which currently account for about 45 percent of shipments for the entire lineup.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are expected to be in stock at retail stores on the launch date, “reflecting low demand. As things stand now, pre-order results for iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are worse than those for the third-generation iPhone SE and iPhone 13 mini. He noted that Apple cut orders for the third-generation iPhone SE and iPhone 13 mini in the first half of 2022 due to low demand.
If demand for these two standard models does not improve, Apple could begin cutting iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus orders as soon as November. Suppliers that are not the primary beneficiaries of Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro models could see revenue start to fall in September and October as a result.
For the iPhone 14 Plus in particular, “pre-order results have been significantly lower than expected. As an effective replacement for the “mini” form factor in the latest iPhone lineup, the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes are now the only options, with Ming-Chi Kuo commenting, “Apple’s product segmentation strategy for the standard models has failed this year.”
All four models of the iPhone 14 were announced by Apple last week and have been available for pre-order since September 9. iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be released on Friday, September 16, while iPhone 14 Plus will be released on Friday, October 7.
