Other Is the trend to buy mid-range iPhones?

[satchmo]

There’s always going those who need/want the latest and greatest. Often if your hobby is video or photography.

However, I know others who now no longer care about the new iPhone launch. It’s a commodity. They‘ve bought an SE and will rock it until it dies. I mean why do you need a new iPhone when the A13 chip in a SE is more than fast enough?

So will iPhone sales follow the Android trend where the low-mid range market dominates.

 

[MarkX]

The SE 2020 sold well but it wasn't Apples best selling phone that year and it certainly won't be this year!

So, to answer your question, I don't think so.

 

[Tsepz]

There’s always going those who need/want the latest and greatest. Often if your hobby is video or photography.

However, I know others who now no longer care about the new iPhone launch. It’s a commodity. They‘ve bought an SE and will rock it until it dies. I mean why do you need a new iPhone when the A13 chip in a SE is more than fast enough?

So will iPhone sales follow the Android trend where the low-mid range market dominates.

IMO, put it this way, if apple were to make a large sized mid-end model I think that would indeed happen, i.e. if they made a 13 Max (non-Pro) with the same size screen (but 60Hz), same camera setup as regular 13 and similar battery life to 13 Pro Max, then yep, I can see the large mid end model taking most sales along with the standard model.

I think Apple know that to and want to maximize what they make from the Pro Max models, maybe in a few years they will make a large Max non-Pro variant.

 

[satchmo]

The SE 2020 sold well but it wasn't Apples best selling phone that year and it certainly won't be this year!

So, to answer your question, I don't think so.

I’m not talking about just the SE.
When you combine sales of all 12 non-pro models, you get about 60% of all iPhones.

 

[satchmo]

IMO, put it this way, if apple were to make a large sized mid-end model I think that would indeed happen, i.e. if they made a 13 Max (non-Pro) with the same size screen (but 60Hz), same camera setup as regular 13 and similar battery life to 13 Pro Max, then yep, I can see the large mid end model taking most sales along with the standard model.

I think Apple know that to and want to maximize what they make from the Pro Max models, maybe in a few years they will make a large Max non-Pro variant.

Good point. The closest we have right now is the iPhone 11 which sold huge numbers last year.

 

[orev]

Prices have kept going up, and the technology keeps getting better. Mid-range phones now meet most people's needs, so there's little reason to get the most expensive one.

 

[ericwn]

I’m not talking about just the SE.
When you combine sales of all 12 non-pro models, you get about 60% of all iPhones.

According to which source?

 

[tedley]

One factor that would enter the equation is profit. If they feel that creating a non-pro max could cannibalize pro max profits, they probably wouldn't do it. I'm sure there are those who buy pro maxes now that would 'downgrade' to a non-pro max and the would eat into pro max profits.

 

[colossus928]

Better to cannibalize yourself than customers going to the competition.
I think Steve Jobs said that.

 

[3:16]

The new pro models are so expensive, at that price range they make no sense, still people sell out their livings to buy one.

 

[Abazigal]

There’s always going those who need/want the latest and greatest. Often if your hobby is video or photography.

However, I know others who now no longer care about the new iPhone launch. It’s a commodity. They‘ve bought an SE and will rock it until it dies. I mean why do you need a new iPhone when the A13 chip in a SE is more than fast enough?

So will iPhone sales follow the Android trend where the low-mid range market dominates.

Yes and no.

To put the argument in context, we need to first bear in mind that there are currently more than a billion active iPhone users. Apple sells about 200 million iPhones every year. As such, they do not need users to run out and upgrade every year - Apple simply is not able to meet this sort of demand.

There are people who are comfortable using 2nd hand iPhones, and this is an important way of growing the user base (people who upgrade sell their older phones to other people who go on to purchase other Apple accessories and services as a result). But I think the majority are simply those who bought a new iPhone upfront, and then proceed to hold on to it for 3-5 years. I myself used my 8+ for 4 years before upgrading to the 13 pro max.

So at any one time, the iPhone user base consists of a range of different generations of iPhones, and that is by design. But so long as they continue to stay iPhone users, Apple still has plenty of ways to continue earning from them.

 

[WriteNow]

Better to cannibalize yourself than customers going to the competition.
I think Steve Jobs said that.

True. I recall reading that comment that Microsoft might have acquired and released Microsoft Works in the 1980s with the idea that if such a product existed, it would take sales away from Word and Excel--and so they might as well at least get those Works sales.

Plus there is an argument that people who buy the low end product might be loyal--and later on buy the top of the line product. Sort of like how someone might start buying a Honda Civic, and eventually end up an Acura buyer.

 

[zhizhuchao]

I've had the 12 PM since launch, and just held my dad's new 11 for the first time. I couldn't believe how nice and fast it felt for a two year old phone, and yeah I definitely see how many people wouldn't mind getting the mid range phone for less than half the price of the pro range phones.

 

[GuruZac]

I have only seen 2 iPhone 13 models in the wild. A 13 and my brother's midnight 13 Mini. However, I have seen several 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max in the wild. I think the trend is that people are holding on to their phone's longer and longer, and with the obscene performance envelope of iPhones in general, they are good for at least 4-5 years. My 11 Pro didn't feel like it was slowing down at all. It still took great pictures, however, Verizon gave me $1000 for it to trade for a 13 Pro which was an absolute no brainer and a bigger upgrade than I was expecting.

Supposedly Apple is dropping the Mini and will do a 14 and 14 Max along with the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. I bet they sell a lot more 14 Max than they would have 14 Mini. I think in general most people value cameras, screen size, and battery life when buying a new phone. A smaller minority of users want the portability of the 13 Mini sized phones as evident by the sales figures for the 12 Mini and 13 Mini.

 

[ian87w]

So will iPhone sales follow the Android trend where the low-mid range market dominates.

This has always been the case since the XR. The XR outsold the Xs/Xs Max. The 11 outsold the 11 Pro/Max. It continues with the 12, and I'm predicting the 13 as well. In Apple's lineup, the XR, 11, 12, 13 are the "premium mid-range" ever since Apple pushed the flagship into the $1000 price point.

But I don't think we will see "low mid-range" dominating in iPhone lineup since Apple always released flagship models, and use these as their next year's mid-range by lowering the price. So the 11 did outsell the 11 Pro/Max in its release year, but today, it won't be as huge of a seller compared to its replacement, the 13, since people see it as an "older" model.

This is in contrast with Android that keep releasing new models for the whole breadth of price points. Samsung keeps releasing a new A5x model every year, which is their best seller year by year.

 

[rui no onna]

This is in contrast with Android that keep releasing new models for the whole breadth of price points. Samsung keeps releasing a new A5x model every year, which is their best seller year by year.

Those (Galaxy A5x) are the standard issue cellphones at my employer. Regular employees are not allowed to choose what phone they want. Maybe upper management can but not the rank and file.

 

[ian87w]

Those (Galaxy A5x) are the standard issue cellphones at my employer. Regular employees are not allowed to choose what phone they want. Maybe upper management can but not the rank and file.

The Galaxy A50 was actually considered as enterprise model, to the point that even the consumer version is getting monthly security patches, while the more expensive A models like the A70 an up don't.

It continues forward, with the A52 and A52s, not only the monthly security patches, but also starting with the A51, they enjoy 3 years of Android upgrades. It's a mid-range with flagship software experience.