14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has started taking pre-orders for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, with shipping to kick off on Friday for the first customers.
While the Cupertino-based tech giant hasn’t shared any details as to how many units were pre-ordered during the first weekend, analysts seem to point to lackluster demand for the new lineup.
Jun Zhang, an analyst with Rosenblatt Securities, says demand for the new iPhones is behind the one recorded by the iPhone X, which ironically, was originally believed to be behind the one of its predecessors too.
In a note to investors released this week, the analyst emphasizes that Apple is expected to produce a maximum for 36 million iPhone XS units this year, though it’s not clear how much the total output can increase with the other models.
Enter iPhone XR
iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR are likely to become the best-selling models in the entire lineup. Demand for the Max model is said to be at a high level, while the iPhone XR will be the most affordable model in the whole lineup and will hit the shelves in October.
“We believe iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max preorders to be weaker compared to the iPhone X preorders, which we had estimated last year to be about 12 million in the first three days, with lead times of 3-5 weeks,” the analyst was quoted as saying.
One of the biggest drawbacks when it comes to the new iPhones is the high price, as the device can reach $1,449 in the Max configuration with 512GB storage. Apple CEO Tim Cook says customers understand this is the price of innovation.
More information on how well the new iPhones are selling will be provided in the coming weeks, especially after the new iPhone XR hits the market.