Apple iPhone 15 series sales are not as good as previous generation products
On September 13, 2023, Apple ceremoniously unveiled the iPhone 15 series at its Autumn Product Launch. However, this year painted a stark contrast to the last, with the seismic shifts in the Chinese smartphone arena, primarily triggered by Huawei’s successive release of the Mate 60 series and Mate X5 over the preceding month.
According to Bloomberg, while the iPhone 15 series may still command significant demand in global markets, its reception in the Chinese sphere appears somewhat lackluster, illustrating a markedly different scenario. Statistical insights reveal a dip in the iPhone 15 series’ sales during its initial 17 days post-launch when juxtaposed against the iPhone 14 series from the previous year. This decline, estimated at roughly 4.5%, translates to Apple witnessing a shortfall of several million units. The ominous part for Apple is the seeming insurmountability of this trend in the Chinese market.
Although current data remains somewhat nebulous, and despite sporadic stock shortages of various Huawei Mate 60 models, analysts posit that Huawei’s cumulative sales within the Chinese market might have eclipsed its competitors, with this trajectory likely extending through 2024 at the least. A silver lining for Apple is the robust sales performance of the premium iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models in the US market, which might potentially offset some losses incurred in the Chinese market.
Should Huawei venture to expand its market reach by introducing its new models to other countries, Apple might grapple with amplified pressures. Apple’s quarterly financial report, slated for release on November 2nd, encompassing iPhone sales data from July to September, will shed further light on this sales narrative.
