Apple's iPhone 8 Plus Was the Top Selling iPhone in the U.S. During Q2 2018

[Krayzkat]

As a mini 4 owner and fan, I’m glad to see it’s sales percentage actually went up. Very surprised actually.

The mini 4 seems to get a lot of hate on these forums (mostly by people who don’t have one), so hopefully this increased sales % will mean it gets an upgrade and continues serving us for many more years.

Tbh, not very surprised about the X sales....

 

[Poisednoise]

https://www.checkmarket.com/sample-size-calculator/

It’s actually impossible to know the margin for error, because we don’t know the sample size. The article does not link back to the original data, and all we know is that 500 people who bought one of an iphone, ipad or mac responded. So each of the graphs we are given is a subset of this data, and is not even necessarily consistent in the sample size between the two years shown.

Assuming 300 respondents were iphone buyers, 150 ipads and 50 mac purchasers (a guess), that would give us margins of error of 5.7% for the iphone graph and 8% for the ipad graph, according to the linked calculator. Given the difference between the least well-selling ipad (12.9 ipad pro @ 17%) and the best-selling ipad (ipad Mar 2017 @ 32%) is only 15% in total, I really don’t think we can take anything from these graphs, at least not without more information.

 

[PickUrPoison]

There are many bad ways to spin this...

Last year the top selling phone sold 34%, this year it was 17%
Last year the top two selling phones was 81%, this year it was 41%

Why would you be looking for bad ways to spin this? Spin is not analysis. Here is some analysis.

Last year, Apple had only 5 phones in their lineup. This year, there were 8.

Both last year and this year, the bottom 3 phones were the SE, 6S and 6S Plus, and they comprised 19% of total sales both years.

But last year, only 2 phones (one model year) shared the remaining 81%. So of course the top 2 phones sold 81%.

This year, 5 phones (two model years) shared the remaining 81%. The 3 new phones took 54%, the older 2—the 7 series—took 27%.

The 7 series are great phones, so it’s not surprising they sold well. But the new model year outsold them 2 to 1, even though they were much more expensive.

 

[neutralguy]

So much for "iPhone X has been our number one selling iPhone"

You really think Tim Cook says truth? He will say anything to get the pofit moving. Just looking at his China business model, tells you how truthful he is.

 

[rmoliv]

iPhone X or epic fail. You can’t sell phones over 1k euros/dollars based on animojis, portrait lighting and facial recognition. Hope they’ve learnt the lesson. Greedy f***s!

 

[0095059]

Of those buying the 3 latest models models the breakdown is:

31% iPhone X
45% iPhone 8 Plus
24% iPhone 8

So people chose the X about a third of the time, but the 8 Plus sold almost twice the units of the smaller 8.

Overall, SE sold about as well this year as last, about 8% both years. Well enough to stay in the lineup? It’s probably more popular overseas, so if it does 10% of the overall volume, that’s probably good enough for it to survive since it hits a price point Apple wants to serve.

I went from an iPhone 5s to an iPhone 6s and I'm still not sure if I prefer the larger screen.

Sometimes I think it's clearly better, like when I am holding it in landscape mode.

• Watching movies ✅
• Playing games ✅
• Taking photos ✅

But when I'm holding it in portrait mode, it feels like the phone is slightly too large to use with one hand.

• Writing messages ❌
• Using the navigation bar ❌
• Checking notifications by swiping down from the top ❌

As a data entry tool and phone, the iPhone SE, to me, seems superior given the current keyboard and navigation system.

 

[rjtyork]

My wife and I love our 8+ we each have. She’s loving the red color and I’m loving the long battery life that just wasn’t available in the 8 or the X. I’m not willing to give up Touch ID and since this phone is so powerful, I don’t see myself needing to upgrade until 2020 or later. By then, Face ID will be fully mature and my wife and I will be ready for a good, solid upgrade. Upgrading from the 6 and the 6+ to the 8+ was super sweet. I’m a huge fan of the 3 year upgrade cycle

 

[DNichter]

iPhone X or epic fail. You can’t sell phones over 1k euros/dollars based on animojis, portrait lighting and facial recognition. Hope they’ve learnt the lesson. Greedy f***s!

As you open up your wallet to buy your iPhone 8 Plus haha..

 

[Bone Ranger]

I sold my 7+ a couple months ago and got an X. After a year with the 7+, I began to hate the size: too big to fit comfortably in my jeans pocket and single handed operation was always a literal balancing act. I was apprehensive about Face ID but I have come to love it so much more than touch ID. Just my $.02

Agreed. The 7+ is uncomfortable in the pocket.
The iPhone X is about as big a phone I want to carry .

 

[mech986]

“likely attributable to the high price of the iPhone X”

Yeah but on the street, its more attributable to that notch design. People point blank will mention immediately they refuse to buy the phone purely for that reason alone.

The Notch is different and is not for everyone, but it has been good enough to log 45M sales worldwide in its first 2 quarters, and I predict additional 12-14M sales for the June Quarter. If so, Cumulative sales of about 57-59M sales at ASP of around $1050 - that's almost $61 BILLION in gross revenue, and if the 38.5% margin holds, that's almost $23.5 Billion of profit cumulatively.

I think I "now" know what AAPL Upper Mgmt "was trying" to pull off:

1.) iPhone X = Porsche 911 Carrera

2.) iPhone 8+ = Porsche Cayenne

3.) iPhone 8 = Porsche Macan


#2 & #3 are close fits !

But #1 missed badly !


Ideally, AAPL would (soon) offer a 5" version of the 8+ w/ 4 GB of DRAM, call it the 8s+, then they would have the equivalent of a 2019 Macan Turbo, out soon !

BTW, the iPhone X isn't doing so well NOT just because of it's price ... many Users love their TouchID, as well as their Hardware Home Button functionality !

BMW once had the best sports sedan on the market, but in their infinite wisdom, they migrated away from Hydraulic-assist power steering, & lost ALOT of loyal customers in the process.

The same "may" happen to AAPL ... or more specifically, older TouchID / Hardware Home Button iPhones will continue to be top sellers moving forward, outselling AAPL's latest & greatest, except to their Fanboys & Fangirls, of course.

I think you mis-link Porsche Models. You do know in 2017 that the Macan (97K sold) and Cayenne (64K sold) are Porsche's best selling models and have been for some time. This is due partly to cost, desire to have a Porsche SUV type vehicle, and many buyers determining their sweet spot is a 4 door sedan rather than two door sports car. Given that the 911 series is much more specialized in size, performance, and sometimes in overall costs, its no wonder that while sales remain good and steady, they don't appeal to the general public, but more the sports car crowd.

#1 did not do badly, rather it's a specific, some may say exclusive (partly based on price) design. That's why both Apple and Porsche follow the same design goals, a variety of models, tech, designs, and price points to appeal to a wider range of buyers.

This Porsche slogan applies to Apple buyers also. A Porsche is not something to everyone, but rather everything to someone.

 

[FFR]

You really think Tim Cook says truth? He will say anything to get the pofit moving. Just looking at his China business model, tells you how truthful he is.

What’s wrong with china?

“iPhone X made up 5.3 percent of all handsets sold in China. This means iPhone X has now been the best-selling smartphone in China every month since its release in November.”
https://9to5mac.com/2018/07/24/kantar-iphone-q2-sales/

 

[ftaok]

You really think Tim Cook says truth? He will say anything to get the pofit moving. Just looking at his China business model, tells you how truthful he is.

Do you really think that Cook would lie during a Investor Conference Call?

There must be dozens (even dozens of dozens) of people at Apple that know the exact model sales breakdown. If Tim Cook says that the X is the best selling model every week since it's been available, then that's the truth.

Now, if he doesn't specifically say it at this quarter's call, then you'll know something is up. Even if he says it differently, you'll be able to read into what he's saying.

Examples.

1. iPhone X was the best selling model this quarter. - this would signal that another iPhone model had better sales for at least one week of the quarter, but the X sold more overall. to me, this would not be a big deal.

2. iPhone X was the best selling model every week in the Asia market - this would signal that the X was outsold in most other markets and probably worldwide. this would be bad.

3. doesn't say anything - this would signal that X did not sell well anywhere when compared to other models, specifically the 8plus (the CIRP survey data is indicating that the plus outsold the X by a wide margin in the US). This would be really bad.

Most of these statements will be sliced and diced by the analysts to try to figure out the breakdown. The ASP will provide a sanity check. If the analysis is bad X sales and the ASP drops, look for AAPL to tumble badly.

If the X remains the best seller and the ASP is steady (and the overall units sold is decent), look for AAPL to remain steady.

 

[Gorms]

All these new gestures and mistaken touches to me lead to a "bag o' hurt." Too many things to remember. Apple is about simplifying things. Taking the home button away unnecessarily complicates a lot of things in my opinion.

I dunno man, the UX of swipe up always takes you to Springboard is as simple to me as pressing the home button. Plus the action itself feels a lot more fluid as you don't have a small hit target to muscle memory your thumb onto. I'm also relatively sure that any new user going into the X experience would have some degree of knowledge that that would be the expectation.

 

[FFR]

iPhone X or epic fail. You can’t sell phones over 1k euros/dollars based on animojis, portrait lighting and facial recognition. Hope they’ve learnt the lesson. Greedy f***s!

But they are.
Very successfully as well.
What’s your point?

 

[fathergll]

I think that the peak in mobile phone design is long past. There are still innovations but they are mostly esoteric novelties rather than useful functions. For most people the cost of the novelties (Face ID vs Touch ID, all the 3D stuff, the ability to badly measure objects, etc.) add little to the value of the phone.

Pretty much this. The novelty is beginning to wear off as tech matures. The first 5 years of the iPhone were extremely exciting but it becomes more difficult to improve. Now the good thing for Apple is that so many people have these phones that they still sell tremendous amounts of them but the need to have the latest model is starting to fade.

 

[Shivetya]

No surprise the 8+ did well. It’s a solid phone and isn’t as pricey like the X.

While I own an 8+ the price difference really isn't that much. Seriously if your buying an $800 phone the $200 difference to an X should not be an issue, if it is you need to ask yourself why you are spending $800 then

 

[fathergll]

While I own an 8+ the price difference really isn't that much. Seriously if your buying an $800 phone the $200 difference to an X should not be an issue, if it is you need to ask yourself why you are spending $800 then

Its probably a combination of larger screen size and less cost.

 

[78Bandit]

This should not be unexpected. The X was priced as a luxury item for people with significant disposable income. Many of those people wanted the X for the "wow" factor and to be part of the exclusivity, kind of like having a Prada purse. They aren't worried about financing and are going to make their purchase early in the cycle to maximize their exposure.

Once that initial demand for the X was met the market for a $1K cellphone suddenly became a whole lot smaller. Consumers in the know expect new devices in September and are going to be very hesitant to plunk down a cool grand for a cellphone. Consumers just looking to replace their current phone when their financial commitment is complete are going to be much more price conscious than the early adopters.

The 8 and 8 Plus, particularly with the massive amount of BOGO deals out there, are a much better value than the X and consequently more consistently maintained their sales volume throughout the current product cycle.

I have no doubt we'll see the same sales curve with the next iPhones. The X Plus will sell quite well through the first quarter as there is a decent level of pent-up demand for something to compete with the Galaxy S9+, but then you'll see the lower-cost LCD device making up a higher and higher percentage of sales as demand for the premium priced AMOLED models falls off.

 

[jamezr]

So the iphone style/model that accounted for 70% of sales is being discontinued........Let that sink in for a moment.

 

[Mainsail]

I like Apple’s move to create more affordable products. Last summer, after seeing the planned iOS 11 productivity features, I bought the 2017 iPad for $300, which I use with a BT keyboard for working on documents, spreadsheet, and presentations. I also picked up an iPhone 6s for $300 on sale at BB.

So, for $600, I have a mobile productivity device and a phone. Not bad. I could spend more on technology, but my needs are pretty simple, and I have been pleased with how much I can get done using this set-up.

Anyway, I suspect a lot of people are in the same boat. They don’t really need the latest technology iteration to be productive, and the marginal gains in speed and features are not worth the additional expense.

 

[George Dawes]

i wish my 8 plus had a bigger screen tbh

apart from that it's ok

 

[DNichter]

So the iphone style/model that accounted for 70% of sales is being discontinued........Let that sink in for a moment.

What's the issue? They'll be replaced by all of the same price points this year.

 

[jamezr]

What's the issue? They'll be replaced by all of the same price points this year.

You tell me the issue....... Look at the numbers. Are you sure it was a price point or did people prefer the legacy models more? Then as far as I can tell most iphone buyers do not really shop by price. That is not what all the demographics and data over the years have said. You're a long time poster here.....you know this to be true.

 

[iamgalt]

I hope everyone's desire for phablets continues, so I can get my relatively small 5.8" OLED iPhone X (gen 2) on release day.

 

[DNichter]

You tell me the issue....... Look at the numbers. Are you sure it was a price point or did people prefer the legacy models more? Then as far as I can tell most iphone buyers do not really shop by price. That is not what all the demographics and data over the years have said. You're a long time poster here.....you know this to be true.

There is really no way to tell for sure, but I would bet that if the X sold for $799 - you would have a lot more people buying it. Ultimately I don't think Apple cares if people can't adapt to not having a home button (they will eventually), but they do want to offer options at multiple price points. I trust they know better than you or I when it comes to those decisions.