Overall, the iPhone 14 models were a success. Even if Apple delayed the release of the iPhone 14 Plus by a month before releasing it, only three available versions would outsell the entire iPhone 13 lineup within a week of release. That said, the iPhone 13 Pro Max will still be the best-selling iPhone in September 2022, one year after its initial release.
CIRP has published a comprehensive analysis of Apple’s undisclosed iPhone sales data. According to the publication, the report is based on fieldwork conducted in late September and early October, immediately after the end of Apple’s fiscal fourth quarter.
It covers consumer purchases for the quarter, including the first three weeks of sales of the new iPhone 14 models, including the iPhone 14, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max. Along with these new models, Apple also announced its first Plus model in recent years, the iPhone 14 Plus, but sales of that model do not begin until early October 2022 begins, which is already located in the next fiscal quarter.
According to CIRP, the three initially available iPhone 14 models (14, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max) accounted for 21 percent of U.S. sales, which is higher than the 16 percent of sales for the four iPhone 13 models launched in September 2021.
Highlighting individual models, iPhone 13 Pro Max accounted for the largest share of all single models in September 2022 at 21 percent. CIRP explained that this was due to iPhone 13 Pro being “available for almost the entire quarter until the release of iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
In the September 2022 quarter, all four iPhone 13 models combined accounted for 56 percent of sales. Older models, such as the iPhone 11, 12, 12 mini and SE combined, accounted for 21 percent of sales in the quarter.
CIRP highlighted that the iPhone 12 mini and 13 minis accounted for 5 percent of iPhone sales, showing why Apple decided to exit this form factor and bet on the Plus model. Going forward, CIRP will focus on customers’ storage capacity choices.
The observation found that consumers continue their long-standing tendency to upgrade from base storage capacity. For the new iPhone 14 model and the more expensive iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, most customers are paying a premium for phones with larger storage capacities.
