Why Aren’t iPhone 16 Sales Surpassing Previous Years?

It's said to be Apple's smallest product in five years. What do you think they have planned for the future?

iPhone 16 Sales: Moderate Growth Pace

According to a communication to investors by Morgan Stanley, documented by AppleInsider, iPhone 16 sales, while solid, are slower than expected. Apple shipped 37 million units of the iPhone 16 series during its opening weekend, predominantly the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus also saw significant growth compared to previous years. Nonetheless, these impressive numbers reflect a weaker demand compared to earlier iPhone releases.

Shorter Delivery Times

Morgan Stanley highlights this trend with the current waiting time if you were to purchase an iPhone 16 today. “The longest wait is 25.5 days for a Pro Max,” the report states. This is a decrease from last year’s 43.5 days for the equivalent iPhone 15 Pro Max. Compared to other iPhone launches, the iPhone 16 models have the shortest waiting period since the iPhone 12’s release in 2020.

Lower Demand for the iPhone 16

The relatively low demand for the iPhone 16 might suggest that Apple has better anticipated this year’s market demand, thus enabling faster shipment. Alternatively, it could indicate a dip in consumer enthusiasm for new iPhones. The lack of major features at the launch of the iPhone 16, such as all the functionalities of Apple Intelligence being in beta, including the exclusive iPhone 16 Visual Intelligence capability, along with the incomplete upgrades like Siri 2.0 and the two-stage camera command trigger, could explain the slow start. Interest might pick up once these features are fully implemented.

In summary, although the iPhone 16 was officially released less than a month ago and has been on sale for just a week, it’s evident that this launch window differs from previous years. Undoubtedly, the fall of 2024 will be a pivotal moment in the history of the iPhone.