Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst at TF International, is widely regarded as one of the most respected equity analysts covering the tech giant. He is thought to have exceptional sources within the company. In a tweet he shared on Sunday, Kuo stated, “Phone 16 first weekend pre-order analysis: estimated total sales of approximately 37 million units; demand for the Pro series is lower than anticipated.” Conversely, the sales figures for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus exceeded the opening pre-order numbers for last year’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
Kuo’s analysis of iPhone 16 series pre-orders showed the following:
- Sales of the iPhone 16 Pro Max have decreased by 16% compared to last year.
- The iPhone 16 Pro has seen a decline of 27% compared to the previous year.
- In contrast, the iPhone 16 Plus has increased by 48% compared to last year,
- while the iPhone 16 has risen by 10% compared to the same period last year.
One key takeaway from these figures is that demand for the non-Pro models this weekend exceeded the demand for the 16 Pro handsets. The total of 37 million phones sold represents a 12.7% decline compared to the number of iPhone 15 models sold during last year’s opening weekend of pre-orders.
Due to improved production yields for the Tetraprism periscope camera that Apple is incorporating into the iPhone 16 Pro model this year, the company has increased the production of its premium iPhone 16 Pro Max to 6 million units ahead of its launch, representing a 106% increase compared to the previous year.
Kuo also notes that he thinks Apple might adopt more aggressive product strategies next year if Apple Intelligence does not contribute to an increase in iPhone 16 shipments in 2025.
“A key factor in the lower-than-expected demand for the iPhone 16 Pro series is that the main selling point, Apple Intelligence, was not released together with the iPhone 16. In addition, fierce competition in the Chinese market continues to affect iPhone demand.” – TF International Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo
All four models of the iPhone 16, as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, come with 8GB of RAM, enabling them to support Apple’s AI initiative known as Apple Intelligence.
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However, some new AI features will not be available for the iPhone 15 Pro models or the iPhone 16 until October, when iOS 18.1 is released. Additional features will be introduced in December with the launch of iOS 18.2, and others are expected next year. You can find the detailed roadmap in this article.
If you want to experience Apple Intelligence immediately, users who have purchased an iPhone 16 can install the iOS 18.1 beta as soon as they receive their device. This option is also available for owners of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Aside from battery life, I have encountered no issues while running the iOS 18.1 beta on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. Just make sure to back up your phone before you install the beta.
Before pre-orders began this past Friday, Apple had already shipped 4.2 million iPhone 16 units, 1.3 million iPhone 16 Plus units, 5.5 million iPhone 16 Pro units, and 6 million iPhone 16 Pro Max units. Due to the reduced number of pre-orders, delivery times for the iPhone 16 Pro models are quicker compared to the delivery times for the iPhone 15 Pro models from last year.
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