Apple's iPhone sales in China have surpassed those in the United States for the first time, contributing to Apple potentially becoming the biggest player in the smartphone market this year, despite global smartphone shipments being on track to be the worst in a decade due to economic headwinds in China and the US, according to Counterpoint Research.
The global smartphone market is expected to decline, but IDC predicts that Apple's iPhone market share will reach an all-time high due to trade-in deals, buy-now-pay-later schemes, and enticing features in their upcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Smartphone sales in the country declined in the second quarter, but at a slower rate, as consumers limited their spending due to high commodity prices, according to IDC.
Huawei's Mate 60 Pro is making a comeback in the Chinese smartphone market, but analysts believe its chances of competing with Apple and Samsung globally are slim due to the lack of popular apps like Google Maps and the impact of US sanctions.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are expected to have a $100 price increase over the current models, according to analyst Dan Ives, but promotional activities and discounts from U.S. carriers are likely to drive sales and offset potential resistance.
Apple stock is experiencing a decline leading up to the release of the iPhone 15.
Apple's stock has experienced a significant decline, losing about $200 billion in market capitalization, due to concerns over Chinese officials urging government employees to stop using iPhones, while analysts also predict a potential sell-off after the upcoming iPhone event.
Apple's iPhone 15 launch may face delays due to production issues, resulting in lower stock availability, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to be delayed by up to a month; leaked price details suggest a significant mark-up on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max; Apple is rumored to be preparing a cheaper MacBook to rival the Chromebook, but it risks diluting its brand; the European Union has designated the App Store, Safari browser, and iOS as "gatekeepers" and plans to introduce regulations to prevent anti-competitive behavior; Apple's stock has fallen following restrictions on Chinese officials' use of iPhones.
Apple's market value has dropped by 10% due to factors such as China's ban on the iPhone for government employees and competition from a Chinese rival, leading to concerns about slowing growth and the need for new products with high growth potential.
Huawei has released its latest flagship phones, the Huawei Mate 60 series, featuring a three-hole Dynamic Island cutout in the display, challenging Apple's design choices for the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro.
Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 launch is expected to be less exciting than previous years.
Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 15 with new features, but let's take a look back at the evolution of the iPhone, which revolutionized the mobile phone industry and sold over 1.2 billion units.
Despite its age, Apple has managed to increase its share of smartphone sales by converting Android users and appealing to teenagers, with the iPhone now accounting for over 50% of smartphones sold in the US and claiming around 20% of global smartphone sales.
Summary: Apple announced the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro at its annual launch event, with the Pro model keeping the same price as last year's version, while the Nasdaq Composite suffered its first losing day in three, largely driven by a 13.5% drop in Oracle's shares.
Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 15 launch disappoints investors and Wall Street.
Apple has reduced the prices of its iPhone 14 series in China after the release of the iPhone 15 lineup.
Apple has launched its iPhone 15 lineup, which includes the high-end iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models, but rival phones from Samsung, Google, and OnePlus offer similar or better specifications.
If you can exercise some patience, consider deferring your iPhone 15 purchase to next year, as a better color option may be released and day-one purchasers may encounter issues, while other flagship phones from Google and Samsung may offer more beneficial features for your lifestyle.
Apple's online store is temporarily down ahead of the highly anticipated iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro pre-orders, which will be available in various colors and storage capacities, starting at $799, and followed by a launch on September 22.
Apple has unveiled its iPhone 15 lineup, leading to a decrease in the value of previous iPhone models, making it a good time to sell and Decluttr is offering a 28-day price guarantee and a 10% bonus for selling your phone.
Demand for the iPhone 15 Pro Max is strong and surpasses last year's iPhone 14 Pro Max, but the iPhone 15 Pro is experiencing weaker demand, possibly due to more customers opting for the Pro Max model; the Pro Max also faces production challenges and longer shipping delays compared to other models.
Apple's latest iPhone, the iPhone 15 Pro, has shown better-than-expected lead times and pre-orders, dispelling investor concerns and suggesting strong early demand despite previous worries about a possible ban in China.
Summary: Analysts say that the higher-end models of Apple's iPhone 15 are experiencing strong demand, which is encouraging amid concerns about consumers' spending capacity.
UBS analyst David Vogt's data suggests that initial demand for Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models is softer compared to last year's models, contradicting reports of strong sales, which caused Apple stock to fall.
Apple is expected to increase its share of India's smartphone sales with the release of its high-end iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models, projecting to account for 7% of all smartphone sales in the country from July to December, according to market researcher Counterpoint.
Apple is expected to achieve year-over-year growth in Q4 thanks to better than expected iPhone revenue and profit, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Plus performing well, while the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro may face order cuts if their prices are not reduced, according to Ming-Chi Kuo's analysis based on supply chain sources.
The launch of Apple's iPhone 15, marked by sold-out pre-orders and long queues, comes after the company reported a decline in sales for the third consecutive quarter.
The iPhone 14 Pro outperformed the iPhone 15 Pro in drop tests, with the latter experiencing greater damage due to its curved design and more vulnerable screen.
Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives believes that lukewarm reviews for Apple's new iPhone 15 may be overshadowed by strong sales, driven by a large number of iPhone users who haven't upgraded their phones in four or more years and the fear of missing out (FOMO), leading to potential pre-order rise and higher average sales prices (ASPs), suggesting that consensus analyst estimates for Apple's sales growth in 2024 could be conservative and projecting a $240 price target with 37% profit potential for Apple stock.
Apple's iPhone 15 release provides insights into the global economy, with investors monitoring sales impact on the stock.
Despite the new features in the iPhone 15 lineup, such as USB-C and improved cameras, Android phones still outperform Apple in terms of charging speed, optical zoom capabilities, and display refresh rate.
The smartphone market in North America is experiencing a 12% decline in phone purchases, leading companies such as Samsung, Google, and Apple to focus on premium phone options to offset the overall sales decline, with Google being the only brand to see an increase in sales; however, the market is still moving towards premium smartphones as people are not replacing their devices as frequently as before.
The iPhone 15 is a compelling upgrade over the iPhone 14 Pro, offering better in-hand feel, improved photo quality, and future-proof features like USB-C.
The iPhone 15 has outdated and underwhelming specs, including a lack of an always-on display, low refresh rate, and the use of a previous generation chipset, making it difficult to recommend over other comparable Android flagship devices or even the iPhone 14 Pro.
