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Apple’s shiny Pro models this year are not getting enough love?
Apple iPhone 16 series pre-booking started on September 13 in many countries and it seems the company has a big problem with its AI strategy.
The iPhone 16 series pre-orders have started in India and many other countries and it seems Apple has got itself a mixed bag in terms of the demand from consumers. The biggest news is that iPhone 16 series has takers and Apple will be happily making more moolah into its kitty. However, reports suggest that the company might have misread the situation or its estimates because of how the pre-orders are going on.
iPhone 16 Pro Demand Lower Than Expected: Did Apple See That Coming?
The details about the pre-order estimates come via Ming-Chi Kuo, Analyst at TD Securities. Apple has seen the demand for iPhone 16 Plus model skyrocket to 48 percent more than what the company got with the 15 Plus last year. That’s not all, the analyst says even the iPhone 16 pre-orders are 10 percent higher than last year’s model.
But what about the money-churning iPhone 16 Pro series? The analyst doesn’t give the exact figures but mentions the demand for the Pro models has been low which has played a big part in the overall number of iPhone units pre-booked during the weekend.
The big numbers have also come down because of the alleged low demand for the 16 Pro models, and Apple is estimated to have around 37 million units pre-booked, which is 12.7 percent less than what the company garnered last year.
In previous years we have seen the Pro models pick up the higher tab for Apple and this year’s 16 Pro models with the AI features should have pushed it up further. So, what caused this drastic change? Well, Kuo claims that Apple’s delayed timeline for some of the important AI features seem to have worked against the company.
It is also likely that Apple’s decision to offer AI features on all the iPhone 16 models has tempted people to pick the regular model if they don’t really need the high-end ProMotion display and the extra camera at the back. Can Apple do something to push the demand for the Pro models? One might have to wait for the full bouquet of AI features to roll out in early 2025 when the company could benefit from higher traction for its premium devices.
The iPhone 16 series starts from Rs 79,900 in India, which is the same as the iPhone 15 version. While the iPhone 16 Pro starting price is still quite high at Rs 1,19,900 even though it is Rs 15,000 less than what you paid for the iPhone 15 Pro at launch in 2023.
