With the largest battery ever placed inside an iPhone, you’d expect heavy demand for the iPhone 14 Plus
A new report says that there has been weak demand for the iPhone 14 Plus
The iPhone 14 Plus is priced at $899 and up but the model was not released on September 16th like the rest of the iPhone 14 series. The iPhone 14 Plus wasn’t launched until October 7th due to supply chain issues which means that it was overlooked by consumers in the beginning days of the 2022 iPhone release.
Pegatron’s results for last month might have also been impacted by the global economic weakness as inflation has reared its ugly head leaving consumers with fewer bucks in their wallets to pay for premium flagship phones. With a redesign expected for the iPhone 15 series next year, some pundits believe that Apple could drop the “Plus” model in 2023 although we’d expect the company to give it another shot next year.
Apple reportedly seeks to balance the demand between Pro and non-Pro models next year
By widening the differentiation between the iPhone 14 Pro and non-Pro models, Apple saw a major shift in iPhone buying habits. Last year, the iPhone 13 Pro series made up 51% of iPhone 13 demand. This year, the iPhone 14 Pro models have been responsible for 64% of iPhone 14 demand. By trying to nudge consumers to purchase the more expensive Pro models, Apple looks to increase its iPhone revenue.
But balancing demand next year between the Pro and non-Pro iPhone units could put less stress on Apple’s supply chain. It also could be a hint from Apple that it plans on raising iPhone prices in 2023. Prices have stayed static over the last few years and the combination of a redesign for the iPhone 15 series and higher prices across the board could mean that Apple doesn’t feel as compelled to push consumers to purchase a pricier Pro model next year.