iPhone 16 demand disappoints: sales down 13% compared to iPhone 15

Just a week ago, Apple's keynote took place in which the iPhone 16 series was released, among other devices, with the arrival of artificial intelligence as a slogan, and the truth is that for many users, the new features introduced for these four phones have been very brief and this is supposed to have its effect.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently shared his observations on the iPhone 16 launch. According to his data, based on supply chain surveys and shipment estimates from Apple's online store, demand for the iPhone 16 Pro models has been lower than expected.

The analyst estimates that the total sales of the iPhone 16 series in the first weekend of pre-orders reached nearly 37 million units. This number, while it seems like an achievement, represents a 13% decrease compared to the launch of the iPhone 15 last year.

Kuo points out that the main reason for this is the decline in demand for the Pro models, specifically, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max sales are estimated to have declined by 27% and 16%, respectively, compared to their predecessors during the same period.

Oddly enough, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models are experiencing a great moment with increased demand compared to last year. However, this is not enough to compensate for the decline in sales of the Pro models.

As for the main reasons for the decline, Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the fact that Apple Intelligence was not present in the initial launch had an impact. This feature is ultimately the most anticipated by everyone, and as is known, it will not be available until the update to iOS 18.1 in October.

Additionally, Kuo notes that the iPhone faces “intense competition” in the Chinese market, a factor that could impact global sales of the device. China is one of Apple’s most important markets, and any shift in demand there could have an impact on global numbers.