iPhone 16 may not be a huge upgrade compared to iPhone 15, and that could result in a 15% sales decline for Apple, claims one analyst.
Apple doesn’t believe in adding massive upgrades to each new model and has still managed to top sales charts. However, the lack of solid upgrades on the iPhone 16 might cost the Cupertino company a significant decline in sales.
Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Apple’s shipments ofiPhonesmay drop by up to 15% because of multiple issues, with the top reason being theiPhone 16’s lackluster upgrades. The company has also allegedly lowered the internal production targets for iPhones going forward.
“iPhone 15 series and new iPhone 16 series shipments will decline by 10–15% YoY in 1H24 and 2H24, respectively (compared to iPhone 14 series shipments in 1H23 and iPhone 15 series shipments in 2H23, respectively),” writes the typically well-informed analyst.
The signs of this decline are already visible in China, where weekly shipments have “declined by 30–40% YoY in recent weeks.”
While the decline in iPhone sales in China is attributed to the return of Huawei and more consumers opting for foldables, globally it could be due to the lack of significant design changes and new features.
Related:
Kuo’s reporting on Apple is often reliable, but we find his claims about the iPhone 16 not getting AI features hard to believe. There have been reports of Applegiving Siri a generative AI boost. Reliable sources like Bloomberg have also claimed that Apple plans to announce several AI features withiOS 18.
Even if Apple doesn’t introduce any AI features with the iPhone 16 (which is unlikely), the company may still not suffer as steep a decline as the analyst suggests. AsAppleInsiderrightly points out, “Kuo has predicted iPhone sales drops for five consecutive years, which have not always happened.”
Anurag Singh was a Tech Writer on Dexerto’s UK team, expertly covering laptops, smartphones, and wearables. He covers the biggest tech news from major brands such as Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft. He also has bylines at Android Police, Neowin, MakeTechEasier, Gizmochina.
