Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) published a report on January 22, revealing that the iPhone 16 series has gained popularity comparable to previous iPhone models. The report covers data from the fourth quarter of 2024, ending in December, and suggests that while the new iPhone series has strong sales figures, analysts should be cautious about interpreting the performance as entirely positive.
According to CIRP, the iPhone 16 series accounted for 68% of total iPhone sales in the U.S. during the December quarter of 2024, which is slightly higher than the 65% share held by the iPhone 15 series in the same period in 2023.
Breaking down sales by model:
- The iPhone 16 Pro Max represented 23% of sales, close to the 26% share of the iPhone 15 Pro Max last year.
- Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro each held 16% of iPhone sales in their respective December quarters.
The iPhone 16 Pro series collectively made up 39% of iPhone sales in the U.S. during the December quarter, marking the lowest share of high-end iPhone models in the past five years.
On the other hand, the basic iPhone 16 model saw a significant boost, with its share rising from 15% in December 2023 to 21% in the same period of 2024.
CIRP highlighted that the increased popularity of the basic model could be attributed to Apple’s marketing strategies, although historical data shows a steady rise in the share of basic models over the years: the iPhone 13’s share was 12% in the same period, while the iPhone 14 accounted for 16%.
Despite the growth in basic iPhone sales, the Pro and Pro Max models reached their lowest sales share in five years. CIRP raised several questions about the potential reasons for this trend:
- Are existing Pro series users holding off on upgrades because their current devices are still adequate?
- Are prospective buyers of Pro models waiting for improvements in the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro series, expected to launch in September?
- Is the higher price of Pro models prompting more consumers to choose the less expensive standard models?
Since the iPhone 16 series has just been released, it is too early to draw definitive conclusions about these trends.
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