Apple iPhone 14 Plus Might Have Already Lost To iPhone 13 Mini; Find Out Why

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus may have disappointed customers worldwide. According to an early analysis report by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the two models, specifically the Plus variant, had "bad" pre-order results, indicating that Apple's positioning of the two new standard models may have failed this year. In contrast, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are doing well in global markets.

According to Kuo's report, pre-orders for the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are lower than those for the iPhone SE 3 and iPhone 13 mini (SE 3 and 13 mini both suffering from an order cut in 1H22). Pre-order results for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Pro, and two standard models are good, neutral, and bad, according to the report's model-by-model analysis (compared to iPhone 13 series).

This should come as no surprise to us. According to our in-house research data and market analysis, consumers are still interested in purchasing compact smartphones, particularly iPhones. The iPhone 13 Mini's compact design, powerful chipset, and long battery life contributed to its global popularity.

Apple could have improved this year's lineup by releasing a 'Mini' iPhone 14 model with significant upgrades. However, Apple replaced the Mini model with a Plus model with a 6.7-inch display and no significant differences from the vanilla iPhone 14 or iPhone 13. The Cupertino behemoth's product strategy appears to have backfired.

Kuo's detailed report also mentions that the product's pre-order result is significantly lower than expected, indicating that Apple's product segmentation strategy for standard models fails this year.
The report also predicts that Apple may cut iPhone 14 and 14 Plus shipment forecasts for November and beyond within the next few weeks in case the demand for the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus does not improve after the launch.

However, even this year, the iPhone 14 Pro models have managed to pique buyers' interest. According to data, the iPhone 14 Pro Max pre-order is better than the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and the delivery time is slightly longer/about the same as the 13 Pro Max/13 Pro model last year.

Kuo has also shared some critical insights about Apple's upcoming revenue growth. According to his findings, strong demand for the iPhone 14 Pro models will likely last until at least November; however, if Apple doesn't increase iPhone Pro orders afterward, the potential order cut of iPhone 14 and 14 Plus could offset Apple's revenue growth from a better iPhone product mix (iPhone ASP increase) in late 4Q22 or 1Q23.

Lastly, he predicts that revenue from the iPhone business will likely start to decline significantly in September or October for suppliers who are not the major beneficiaries of Pro models.

The iPhone 14-series starts at Rs. 79,900 and goes all the way up to Rs. 1,89,900. The iPhone 14 Plus 128GB costs Rs. 89,900. Because there is no compact iPhone this year, the only options are the iPhone 13 Mini or the iPhone SE 2022.

Surprisingly, the price of the iPhone SE 2022 has recently risen from Rs. 43,900 to Rs. 49,900. The steep price increase occurred shortly after the iPhone 14-series was released in India. While the iPhone SE 2022 is now more expensive, the iPhone 13's price has recently been reduced by over Rs. 10,000. You can read a detailed analysis of the report's specifics here.

Source, Via