Apple iPhone 14 Plus Production Reduced: Will It Meet The Same Fate As iPhone Mini?

Apple dropped the Apple Mini from its lineup this year citing low demand in the market for a compact phone. It was replaced by the iPhone 14 Plus model, which is essentially a standard iPhone 14 with a bigger 6.7-inch display size and battery. Apple expected it to be a volume seller owing to strong demand in the market for large-screen smartphones. On the contrary, the Plus model is getting a poor market response and a report suggests that Apple is cutting its production.

Reportedly, the Cupertino giant has instructed at least one of its manufacturers in China to halt the production of the iPhone 14 Plus components. It has also asked its assembly partner to lower production by up to 90 percent. What could be the reason behind this decision? Let's try to decipher it.

Will The iPhone 14 Plus Meet The Same Fate As The iPhone 13 Mini?

One of the reasons for the iPhone 14 Plus' weak demand could be its price tag. The iPhone 14 Plus was launched in September 2022 for a price of $899, which is dangerously close to the $999 Apple iPhone 14 Pro and the $1099 Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max. For just $100 more customers are getting a 120Hz refresh rate screen with a new pill-shaped camera cutout. Not to mention an improved Apple A16 Bionic processor and a telephoto shooter that the iPhone 14 Pro offers.

This could be one of the major reasons that the iPhone 14 Plus seems to be struggling when its expensive siblings are performing fairly well. Another reason could be that the iPhone 13 and the non-Pro iPhone 14's are very similar in terms of design, processor, and features. Possibly, the customers aren't pleased with the incremental upgrades the non-Pro iPhone 14s bring to the table and are opting for the older generation iPhone 13 instead.

If the weak demand for the iPhone 14 Plus persists, there are chances that Apple might be forced to reconsider its strategy regarding the iPhone 14 Plus. It could even meet the same fate as the iPhone Mini next year or Apple could pack the next generation iPhone 15 Plus with a lot more features to set it apart from the vanilla iPhone 15.

Apple iPhone 14 Plus: Price In India

Things are quite different in the Indian market though. The iPhone 14 Plus comes at a starting price of ₹89,900, whereas the iPhone 14 Pro starts at ₹1,29,900. That's a big difference of ₹40,000. So, as far as the Indian market is concerned, the sale of the iPhone 14 Plus could be higher compared to other markets where the price difference between the non-Pro and Pro models is marginal.