Recently, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released his latest forecast report. According to the most recent survey results, the first weekend’s preorder sales for the iPhone 16 series were approximately 37 million units, a decrease of about 12.7% compared to the iPhone 15 series during the same period last year.
Kuo believes that one of the main reasons for this year’s iPhone sales not meeting expectations is the lower-than-anticipated demand for the iPhone 16 Pro series. A specific indicator is that the shipping times for the iPhone 16 Pro series are significantly shorter than for last year’s iPhone 15 Pro series.
Furthermore, another factor affecting sales is that Apple Intelligence, touted as the biggest selling point for this generation of iPhones, was not released simultaneously with the iPhone 16 series. The delayed launch of this technology, coupled with continued intense competition in the Chinese market, has adversely impacted the demand for iPhones.
According to Kuo’s analysis, despite the decrease in first-weekend preorder sales for the iPhone 16 Pro series, this will not immediately cause significant changes to the supply chain’s production plans. It is expected that supply chain operations will remain relatively stable in the short term. With the release of Apple Intelligence in the fourth quarter and various promotional activities during the upcoming peak sales season, the shipments of the iPhone 16 series are expected to improve to some extent.
Kuo also predicts that to address changes in market demand, Apple may adopt a more aggressive product strategy in 2025 to stimulate growth in demand.