This year’s iPhone launch is unusual for two reasons. Firstly, only the Pro models have the latest processor – although that’s probably not a major draw for many… More importantly, perhaps the most exciting development for many would be the iPhone 14 Plus, which for the first time offers the largest screen size to those who don’t need the Pro features. However, at just $100 more for the smaller Pro or $200 for the Pro Max, it’s becoming a tighter competition. Additionally, for someone upgrading from the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, the base model iPhone 14 is a relatively modest upgrade. “As for the base [iPhone 14] compared to the price points, it’s very exciting to do [iPhone 14 Pro]said Dan Ives, managing editor of equity research at Wedbush Securities. This echoes what most reviewers have said. There’s one very consistent theme in reviews of the base model iPhone 14: It’s not good enough to justify paying $100 more than the (now) $699 iPhone 13. If you want a new phone this year, spend the extra money on the iPhone 14 Pro . Ive says that with many iPhone owners now only upgrading every three years or so, they expect to see significant benefits, CNET reports. About 240 million of the 1 billion iPhones have been in their owners’ hands for three and a half years or more, according to Ives’ research, and those people are likely to upgrade. When they do, they’re less likely to opt for the base iPhone 14. There’s not much news about last year’s iPhone 13 or 2020’s iPhone 12. There is a third factor. While the Pro models are expensive, carrier “subsidies” (aka deferred payments) are back in vogue. “Company sales and promotions are important,” says Ives. With discounts of $800 to $1,000 on new iPhones, carriers are incentivizing consumers to opt for more expensive Pro and Pro Max phones. Consumers don’t feel the price difference between the $800 iPhone 14 and the $1,000 iPhone 14 Pro thanks to [these] promotions. Bloomberg reports the same. “Data continues to point to strong demand for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, which could have a materially positive impact on both mix and margins,” Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani said in a report this week. […] That leaves users with fewer reasons to upgrade to a basic iPhone 14, but plenty of incentive to pay a bit more for the Pro. A flurry of carrier promotions and offers can also entice consumers to buy a flashier model. Some believe that Apple has been caught off guard by the level of demand for the more expensive models. The dominance of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max may have surprised even Apple, as pre-orders for the higher-end phones now include mid- to late-October delivery windows. While reports suggest that Apple ordered 90 million iPhone 14 series phones for the holiday quarter, which is on par with the number of iPhone 13 series phones it shipped last year for the same period, the surge in pre-orders for the Pro and Pro models Max could mean that Apple needs to increase its orders for the holidays. Strong sales of the iPhone 14 Pro are reflected in the fact that some people are seeing their shipping dates drop – by several weeks at worst. Apple is usually conservative with delivery dates, so we’re used to seeing Apple push dates, not push them back. FTC: We use affiliate links that automatically earn you income. More. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:
