Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) releases three or four iPhone models every year to target various price segments of smartphone buyers. Interestingly, within a few months of launch, the sales of iPhones become a hot topic everywhere, especially in the United States. According to latest data by CIRP, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is emerged as the highest-selling iPhone model in the United States despite its exorbitant price.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max accounted for 28% of all iPhone sales in the US in Q4 2022. The second most popular model by the sales figure was iPhone 14 which accounted for 23% of the total US iPhone sales during the same quarter.
The four iPhone 14 models, together, accounted for a whopping 77% of the total iPhone sales in the US during Q4 2022. This is the one of the highest shares of a latest series for a December quarter since CIRP began tracking iPhone sales by model eleven years ago.
The features such as Dynamic Island, A16 Bionic chip, 48MP Main camera, Always-On display and some others make the latest 2022 iPhone models more appealing than their predecessors.
Older models such as iPhone SE, iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini accounted for 25% of the total US iPhone sales during the fourth quarter of 2022.
The primary reason for the decline in the sales of older iPhones is that Apple discontinued them in September 2022 alongside launching new iPhone 14 lineup. In order to increase the demand for new iPhones, the Cupertino giant had officially stopped selling all older iPhone models, such as iPhone 11, 12 Mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max. However, Apple retailers will continue selling older models until the stocks last.
Looks like Apple’s strategy has finally paid off.
Now let’s compare the 2021 sales of iPhones in the US for all models.
On September 15, 2021, Apple unveiled iPhone 13 series. In a little more than three months, the demand for new iPhones skyrocketed in the US and the worldwide. In Q4 2021, iPhone 13 series accounted for 70% of the total iPhone sales in the US. Among individual models, the 2021 vintage iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max had the largest shares of any single model, at 25% each.
The older models, including iPhone 11, SE, 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max and 12 mini, combined for 29% of all iPhone sales in the US during Q4 2021.
CIRP report also highlights another interesting trend in consumers’ buying preferences. The sales of iPhone Pro models in 2021 and 2022 are comparatively lower than those of Pro Max and basic models.
The comparatively lower-priced models, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro, were less in demand in the US. iPhone 14 Pro accounted for only 15% of the total iPhone sales in the US in Q4 2022, while iPhone 13 Pro accounted for 19% of all sales in the US in Q4 2021.
Despite being the world’s most expensive, iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max were the best selling smartphones in the US during the fourth quarters of both years. This pattern suggests that prospective buyers are no longer deterred by exorbitant price of iPhone.
