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iPhone 14 Plus preorders reportedly even worse than iPhone 13 mini

By Rory Mellon published 13 September 2022 The new Phone 14 Plus model could already be a 'fail' (Image credit: Future) The iPhone 14 Plus model is reportedly suffering from soft pre-order numbers, and the standard iPhone 14 doesn't appear to be faring much better either. This news comes by way of Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who states in a post on Medium (opens in new tab) (translated by Macrumors (opens in new tab)) that the iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 are enduring "bad" pre-order numbers. In fact, the first wave of orders are so poor that Kuo claims Apple is already considering the possibility of cutting its order numbers of the handsets. This could be particularly damaging as these two devices are currently scheduled to make up around 45% of the iPhone 14 lineup's shipments. "Apple's product segmentation strategy for standard models fails this year," Kuo writes. Kuo also states that currently the pre-order numbers for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are worse than the third-generation iPhone SE and most-damagingly the iPhone 13 mini. The latter is significant because the trimmed-down iPhone 13 was such a sluggish seller that Apple opted to discontinue the mini model for the iPhone 14 range and instead created a new Plus variant. Conversely, pre-order numbers for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max appear to be stronger. Kuo suggests the figures for the most-premium members of the iPhone 14 family are "neutral" and "good" respectively, and about in line with the numbers for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The current iPhone 14 preorder wait times would also suggest that the Pro models are more popular with the Apple Store estimating a delivery date of mid to late October for both models.

Why is the iPhone 14 Plus already underperforming  

On paper the iPhone 14 Plus might seem a reasonably compelling smartphone, it packs all the same improvements as the standard model but with the larger profile of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. However, it appears just like with the iPhone 13 mini before it, customers may not be interested in a differently-sized version of the standard Apple flagship smartphone. Perhaps the iPhone 14 Plus is struggling to appeal due to its $899 price tag, which is a $100 increase compared to the standard iPhone 14. Or maybe, it's predominantly Pro users who want a larger display, and the type of buyer who opts for a standard iPhone would rather a device that more comfortably fits into pockets and small bags. It should also be acknowledged that, broadly speaking, early adopters typically want the most premium models available. After all, the people invested enough in the Apple ecosystem to upgrade their iPhone the second a new lineup is released tend to be the most serious users. It's not unreasonable to assume the majority of the people looking to buy a new iPhone this month will want the extra power of the Pro. Therefore, it's entirely possible that the iPhone 14 Plus will debut to soft sales, but over time will see its popularity grow as more casual buyers upgrades. Of course, there is also a chance that the iPhone 14 Plus just isn't a handset with mass appeal. Only time will tell. We'll have to see how Apple's Plus experiment pans out over the next few months, but the early signs could suggest that a Plus variant for the iPhone 15 isn't guaranteed.Today's best Apple iPhone 13 dealsPlansUnlockedNew customers can ... (opens in new tab)No contractApple iPhone 13 (Installments 128GB) (opens in new tab)Apple iPhone 13 (Installments 128GB) (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$45.38/mth (opens in new tab)Unlimited minsUnlimitedtexts4GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds) (opens in new tab)No contractUnlimited minsUnlimitedtexts4GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$45.38/mth (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)New customers can ... (opens in new tab)No contractApple iPhone 13 (Installments 128GB) (opens in new tab)Apple iPhone 13 (Installments 128GB) (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$50.38/mth (opens in new tab)Unlimited minsUnlimitedtexts10GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds) (opens in new tab)No contractUnlimited minsUnlimitedtexts10GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$50.38/mth (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)New customers can ... (opens in new tab)No contractApple iPhone 13 (Installments 128GB) (opens in new tab)Apple iPhone 13 (Installments 128GB) (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$55.38/mth (opens in new tab)Unlimited minsUnlimitedtexts15GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds) (opens in new tab)No contractUnlimited minsUnlimitedtexts15GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$55.38/mth (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

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Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Rory MellonDeals EditorRory is a Deals Editor at Tom's Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on deals, gaming and streaming. When he's not scouring retailers for PS5 restock or writing hot takes on the latest gaming hardware and streaming shows, he can be found attending music festivals and being thoroughly disappointed by his terrible football team. More about apple Black Friday deals 2022 - date and best early sales The best Apple Pencil alternatives in 2022Latest Chelsea vs Man Utd live stream and how to watch Premier League game online, lineupsSee more latest ► Topics Apple Smartphones See all comments (0) No comments yet Comment from the forums MOST READMOST SHARED1UFC 280 live stream: How to watch Oliveira vs Makhachev online right now, card and results2Google Pixel Watch review3iOS 16.1 launches Monday - here's the new features for your iPhone4Daily Quordle #271 - answers and hints for Saturday, October 225Google just responded to Pixel Watch OLED burn-in complaints1UFC 280 live stream: How to watch Oliveira vs Makhachev online right now, card and results2Google Pixel Watch review3iOS 16.1 launches Monday - here's the new features for your iPhone4Daily Quordle #271 - answers and hints for Saturday, October 225Google just responded to Pixel Watch OLED burn-in complaints