Based on Apple’s iPhone launch history, the tech giant will introduce the next-generation iPhone 15 series at the September 12 “Wonderlust” event. Tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the new 6.7-inch highest-end model, iPhone 15 Pro Max acquires 35% –40% of the iPhone 15 series shipments.
Manufacturing the highest number of shipment units of the iPhone 15 Pro Max shows the company’s confidence in its most premium model becoming a hit with consumers even in a declining global smartphone market stifled by macroeconomic deterrents like high inflation and recession. The success of the iPhone 14 Pro Max might be a contributing factor to this confidence.
Success of iPhone 14 Pro Max gave Apple the confidence to increase iPhone 15 Pro Max shipments by 10%-20% YoY
Recently, Omdia published its “Smartphone Model Market Tracker – 2Q23” report which showed that the iPhone 14 Pro Max ranked the no.1 smartphone in the global market with 26.5 million shipments in the first half of 2023, January to June period. iPhone 14 Pro Max is the most expensive model of the latest iPhone 14 series with prices ranging from $1,099 to $1,599.
In spite of the global smartphone market recording negative growth, the premium smartphone market increased steadily. The “sales volume and proportion of high-end models such as Pro and Pro Max continue to increase among Apple’s iPhone users,” especially within emerging markets.
The Senior Research Manager at Omdia, Jusy Hong expected the premium smartphone market to continue increasing in the second of 2023 with the launch of the upcoming iPhone 15 series despite seeing a decline in global smartphone shipments in the mid-to low-end markets.
Therefore, shipments of Android based smartphone OEMs, which have a high portion of mid- to low-priced smartphones, will inevitably see another round of negative growth this year. On the other hand, Apple’s shipments of Pro and Pro Max will increase due to solid demand for premium models, but overall iPhone shipments this year will be similar to last year or decrease slightly due to weak demand for standard and plus models”.
Maybe, encouraged by the consumers’ preference for advanced features like display, camera, and battery, Apple allocated the highest share of shipments of the new iPhone 15 series to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Kuo wrote:
iPhone 15 Pro Max, the most expensive iPhone, accounts for 35–40% of iPhone 15 series shipments, the highest share. iPhone 15 Pro Max shipments in 2H24 also grew 10–20% YoY compared to iPhone 14 Pro Max in the same period. It means Apple is optimistic about the selling point of the periscope, which is only available in iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to be powered by an A17 Bionic chip, the first SoC to be built on TSMC’s 3nm process, camera with a periscope lens for improved zoom, Action Button, USB-C port, titanium finish, and more.
