Apple introduced the iPhone 16 series on September 9 and the new phones went on pre-order on September 13. These are the company’s first AI-infused smartphones but when the phones go on sale tomorrow, these new capabilities, dubbed Apple Intelligence, will only be available in beta. On top of that, Apple is going to take its sweet time to roll out the full suite of features.
Initial analyst reports suggest that pre-orders are lower than last year. Other signs, such as Apple dolling out employee discounts earlier than usual, also point to weak iPhone 16 sales.
Additionally, the Pro models, which have historically sold better than the standard models, are reported to have performed worse than their non-Pro counterparts during the pre-order period this year.
Apparently, even some iPhone diehards who upgrade every year are skipping the iPhone 16.
Even Apple loyalists have turned their back on the iPhone 16 apparently. | Image Credit – Mark Gurman, X
Is this just not Apple’s year?
T-Mobile‘s CEO painted a different picture during an interview with CNBC. He said that his company was seeing an improvement in sales compared to last year. Sievert also took aim at rumors that indicated Pro models were not catching eyes of many buyers, stating consumers are purchasing all models at a greater rate than last year.
The first week was better than last year. Not only good, but better than last year, and people are buying Pros, they’re buying Maxs, so they’re buying up the food chain, and they’re buying at a greater rate than last year.
Mike Sievert, T-Mobile CEO, September 2024
Since T-Mobile is only one of the only channels through which the iPhone 16 can be bought, the information provided by Sievert isn’t representative of the wider market.
That said, T-Mobile is America’s second-largest carrier, and if its customers are showing greater enthusiasm than last year for the iPhone 16, it can be taken as a sign that demand for Apple’s new phones is not sluggish.
Besides, unlike supply chain experts and financial analysts, T-Mobile doesn’t rely on tip-offs to make statements like this. Instead, it has direct insight into numbers, so it can be regarded as a more reliable source when it comes to deducing marketing performance.
Sievert isn’t entirely optimistic about the way things stand right now and does think that the delay in the rollout of AI features could lengthen the buying cycle. Since Apple Intelligence will be formally released next month and the full slate of features won’t arrive until mid-2025, he thinks that it may take longer for buyers to share their experiences “by word of mouth.
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