This year, Apple made some significant changes to its phone lineup. Instead of a regular-sized phone and a mini-phone, it abandoned the small handset in favor of “bigger and bigger” phones. That means 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch models for the base 14 and 14 Plus, as well as the Pro and Pro Max, as before. According to analysts, that strategy appears to have failed. Apple is particularly concerned about the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus’s poor sales. This is the first time Apple has released a non-professional phone in this size. It’s reportedly so concerned about its poor sales that it’s rethinking the iPhone 15 lineup.
To recap, Apple previously used the same silicon in all of its phones. So the A15 chip was found in the iPhone 13, 13 Pro, and 13 Mini. The 120Hz ProMotion display and more camera options were the main differences between the regular and Pro models. That was not the case with the iPhone 14 lineup. The new A16 chip was reserved for the Pro phones, while the regular phones received the older A15 silicon. It also released the 14 Plus, which had the same components as the 14 but a larger display and battery.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known Apple analyst, noted shortly after its release that it had likely sold worse than the model it replaced, the 13 Mini. The 14 Plus turned off small phone enthusiasts, who resisted upgrading. Several months later, it appears that the pattern has continued, and iPhone 14 Plus phones are gathering dust. Another issue with the 14 Plus is its high starting price of $899. This is $100 more than the standard iPhone 14. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max costs $1,099. For many people, spending an extra $200 for all of the Pro features is worth it.
According to a new blog from a reliable supply chain source, Apple is taking this situation very seriously. The post, written by yeux1122, was flagged by Macrumors. According to the report, Apple is assessing the situation and considering two corrective actions. The first is to further distinguish between Pro and non-Pro phones. As a result, the second option would be to lower the price of the Plus model. Apple appears to be intent on neutralizing its regular phones in order to upsell people to the Pro phones instead. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple believes Android poses no threat to the high end of the market.
The iPhone 15 lineup appears to be further differentiated. In a related vein, it was reported prior to the iPhone 14 launch that Apple was experiencing slowing sales of its Mini and SE models. That’s most likely why it ditched the small version in favor of the super-sized version. As it turns out, Apple’s strategy did not work out as planned. At least not for $899, prompting Apple to return to the drawing board.
