“Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a research note today, obtained by MacRumors, outlining his opinions about first-weekend pre-orders for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4,” Joe Rossignol reports for MacRumors.
“Kuo says Apple Watch Series 4 pre-orders have been ‘better than expected,’ as a result of new innovative functions, such as electrocardiogram support. He predicts Apple Watch shipments will reach 18 million units in 2018, with the Series 4 lineup accounting for 50 to 55 percent of those orders,” Rossignol reports. “If the ECG support expands to more countries, Kuo believes the Series 4 lineup could see even stronger shipment momentum.”
“In contrast, Kuo says iPhone XS pre-orders are ‘lower-than-expected,’ as customers opt for the iPhone XS Max or wait for the iPhone XR,” Rossignol reports. “Kuo says iPhone XS Max pre-orders have been in line with expectations, signifying the success of Apple’s high-pricing strategy. Kuo sees a positive outlook for the iPhone XR, available to pre-order October 19, given its lower pricing and dual-SIM support in China… and estimates] that the model will account for 55 to 60 percent of shipments of the new 2018 iPhones, up from 50 to 55 percent previously. ”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The Xs is a tough sell, especially to those of us who have iPhone X units and extra especially to those of us who always felt the X was a bit too small (narrow). We obviously want the Max.
As for everyone else, why would the hoi polloi choose the 5.8-inch iPhone Xs when they can get the 6.1-inch iPhone XR? They don’t know the difference between LCD and OLED, they have no idea what 3D Touch is, and it looks/works pretty much the same to them – plus it comes in colors (that they’ll immediately cover with a case; no matter, colors sell).
We have no idea who iPhone Xs is for. We’d be surprised if iPhone Xs even hits 10% of total iPhone sales.
Apple Watch Series 4 is going to open a lot of eyes.