A number of reports have suggested the iPhone 14 Plus is selling worse than Apple’s expectations. With that said, however, new data suggests the device is outselling what it replaced – the iPhone 13 mini. Here’s what that data shows…
iPhone 13 mini vs. iPhone 14 Plus sales
The news comes from analysts at Display Supply Chain Consultants, based on a survey of supply chain data for iPhone panel shipments over the last 12 months. According to the report, display panel shipments for the iPhone 14 series are tracking 2% higher than the iPhone 13 series during the same time period.
The report explains:
In Q1’23, iPhone 14 panel shipments reached 37M units versus the iPhone 13 series with 40M units in Q1’22. Over an 11-month period, the iPhone 14 Pro Max continued to lead the lineup with a 36% share, followed by the iPhone 14 Pro with 28%, the iPhone 14 with 25% and the iPhone 14 Plus with 11%.
Furthermore, the iPhone 14 Pro lineup continues to dominate the iPhone lineup, even in comparison to the iPhone 13 Pro’s success. “The cumulative share for iPhone 14 Pro models through April is expected to be 63% versus a 53% share for the iPhone 13 Pro models,” the report says.
Perhaps what’s most interesting, however, is this breakdown of panel shipments by model for the iPhone 13 vs iPhone 14:
- iPhone 14: Down 36%
- iPhone 14 Plus vs. iPhone 13 Mini: Up 59%
- iPhone 14 Pro: Up 22%
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: Up 23%
This would suggest that the iPhone 14 Plus is selling significantly better than the iPhone 13 mini. Both devices are said to have sold significantly worse than Apple had anticipated, but apparently, even the low sales of the iPhone 14 Plus are outpacing the iPhone 13 mini.
9to5Mac’s Take
There are two things that come to mind when I see this data. First, maybe it’s possible there are just too many iPhones for sale right now. In a world where Apple keeps iPhone models around for several years after their initial release, maybe selling four “flagships” is just too many.
Second, I think we (and maybe even Apple) sometimes forget that not every iPhone can be a best-seller. The iPhone 14 Plus might be missing Apple’s sales target, but Apple is still selling millions of them. Apple needs to decide whether it’s ok having a niche iPhone in the lineup. If not, it might be better off cutting down the flagship iPhone lineup.
What do you think of Apple’s current iPhone strategy? Is the lineup too crowded? Let us know in the comments.
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