Several industry observers have criticised Apple’s decision to forego smaller iPhone releases in favour of the iPhone 14 Plus, which offered more screen space. However, when measured against the competition, the 6.7-inch model actually performed reasonably well in the market during the first quarter of 2023. That does not, however, preclude Apple from changing its strategy when the iPhone 15 Plus’s successor debuts later this year. According to a wccftech report, Apple‘s iPhone 14 Plus was the company’s worst – selling model in Q1 2023, with sales worse than Apple’s expectations. Despite its poor reception, the iPhone 14 Plus was still the sixth – best – selling mobile phone. Let us take a look at the reasons behind the poor sales of this model and how it still managed to be one of the top-selling handsets.
iPhone 14 Plus Sales
Techlusive reports that the iPhone 14 Plus recorded display panel shipments of 40 million units in the first quarter of 2023, as opposed to 40 million units of the iPhone 13. This indicates that the iPhone 14 Plus did not meet Apple’s sales expectations. Also, AppleInsider reported that soft holiday iPhone sales would hit Apple’s first fiscal quarter, while strong currencies against a weaker dollar may have helped Apple’s finances according to UBS analysts. For Apple’s Q1 2023 financial results, UBS forecasts Apple to have shipped 79 million iPhones, a little below the 80 million consensus, but far higher than the “street low” of 74 million. The problem stems from COVID lockdowns in the December quarter triggering “significantly long wait times” for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
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Poor Reception
The iPhone 14 Plus’s poor reception could be attributed to various factors. Furthermore, The Verge reported that the iPhone 14 Pro supply problems sank its holiday revenues. Apple warned of “longer wait times” for its flagship iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Both phones were hard to come by during the height of the holiday shopping season, though the stock has since levelled out. In a recent Forbes report, the Plus model declined in popularity due to its lack of features compared to the other models in the series.
Sales Ranking
Despite its poor reception, the iPhone 14 Plus still managed to be the sixth-best-selling handset. According to Android Authority, Apple’s iPhones predictably accounted for the top spots, as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14, and iPhone 13 were in first, second, third, and fourth spots, respectively. The iPhone 14 Plus (sixth) and iPhone 12 (eighth) rounded out Apple’s contributions. Samsung delivered in this segment, too, also accounting for six devices. Most notably, the Galaxy S23 Ultra landed in fifth place.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the iPhone 14 Plus’s poor sales could be attributed to various factors such as supply chain issues, lack of features, and soft holiday sales. Despite this, the Plus model still managed to be one of the top-selling handsets, ranking sixth in the list of the most popular flagship phones in Q1 2023.
