“While it’s certainly possible that the great days of iPhone sales growth are over, I wouldn’t make that prediction just yet,” Dr. Drang writes for leancrew. “In fact, I was surprised to learn that iPhone sales were merely flat. I was expecting a decline — not because the iPhone is losing popularity, but because the iPhone 6’s first quarter of sales was such a gigantic leap upward. ”
“The pent-up demand for a larger iPhone caused sales to increase nearly 50% year over year, to 74.47 million from 51.03 million the year before,” Drang writes. “This was the biggest percentage jump in year-over-year sales since the introduction of the 4S (which was goosed a bit because the 4S was delayed). I just didn’t think the 6S could keep up with that. And maybe it won’t.”
“But look at how things were going before the iPhone 6. Had the trend of 2012–2014 continued through 2015, iPhone sales last quarter would have been 65–70 million. Instead they were just under 75 million. It’s only in comparison to the huge holiday quarter of 2014 that last quarter looks dull,” Drang writes. “If sales don’t improve with the iPhone 7, I’ll be willing to believe we’ve reached ‘peak iPhone.’ Until then, the only problem I see is that the iPhone 6 was too successful.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yup.
Apple was at least two years late with properly-sized iPhones*. With iPhone 6/Plus in Q115, they had wild success due to massive pent-up demand. That they topped it in Q116 with the 6s/Plus is remarkable, almost unfathomable, and even more so considering the macroeconomic headwinds that are blasting the company in the face.
Anyone who fails to realize the magnificent scope of what Apple accomplished this past quarter simply cannot see the forest for the trees. — MacDailyNews, January 27, 2016
*iPhones sized properly for the majority of the market, as per:
Apple in April 2013: ‘Customers want what we don’t have’SEE ALSO:
No, Apple is not dying and neither is the iPhone – January 27, 2016
Piper Jaffray: iPhone to resume growth in 2016 despite poor macroeconomy – January 27, 2015
Apple reaps $18.4 billion quarterly profit, the largest ever recorded by a single public corporation – January 26, 2016
Apple beats on earnings; sets all-time records for revenue, net income, and EPS – January 26, 2016
MacDailyNews presents live notes from Apple’s Q116 Conference Call – January 26, 2016
Apple beats Street with all-time record quarterly earnings – January 26, 2016