iPhone 16 Demand Dips Among Teens, But Interest in Apple Intelligence Could Still Spur Upgrades

[shr631]

A new report from Piper Sandler's fall 2024 survey

Piper Jaffrey now Piper Sandler?

 

[iPadified]

I'm glad to hear it. My brief stint in Education was before things like ChatGPT really hit the mainstream, so I didn't have to worry about it too much then. I'm more worried about the critical thinking ability of the next generation than their memorization.

Critical thinking is what we should teach and yes, that is getting worse but also very much more important. Future kids need to decide what is good and bad in texts and thus work as editors. School just got harder for lots of pupils and students as there are no easy questions left to ask.

 

[shr631]

Teen don’t have the rizz without an iPhone

i’ve recently been looking to accrue some rizz to better relate to the youngs, seems like this phone has the requisite drip to get me there.

 

[iPay]

My 16 year old nephew told me he didn't want it since it looks identical to the 15 Pro Max he already has.

There's still the blue/green bubbles, still a thing with teens - plus, its a ranged weapon. Imagine Apple adds an effect (glow, border or anything) that only works for current-year iPhones !? that would start a riot.

 

[coolfactor]

While I realize my tiny little slice of this world is hardly representative, no one I know cares at all about Apple Intelligence. It’s seen as nothing more than a gimmick/novelty.

Disagree. I'm not a ChatGPT user myself, but have been shocked by the number of business acquaintances that turn to it for business advice. It has essentially replaced Google for them.

Having intelligence built into your phone, an Apple phone, rather than having to install an app, will be very attractive to many.

Apple is executing exactly like they always have... incrementally, methodically, and carefully. That's their difference and strength.

It works well for them and well for consumers. Apple Intelligence will become a well-used feature because it's "just there".

 

[coolfactor]

My 16 year old nephew told me he didn't want it since it looks identical to the 15 Pro Max he already has.

Once Apple Intelligence is out, he'll feel left out. Oh, poor kid. 😝

Geez... Pro Max for a teen? What world are we living in? 🤣

 

[badass_marsha]

That won’t be interesting until we get on-screen awareness and the Genmoji going. The Apple Intelligence available in beta now is .. average at best

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

I think the next generation iPhone SE will be very popular among teenagers and the parents who pay for them.

 

[SactoGuy18]

Let's face it. The high inflation of necessities (food, motor fuels, utilities and now insurance) is literally killing durable goods sales. Why do you think sales of large appliances, automobiles and now high-end cellphones are all down? I wonder how much this has also affected Galaxy S24 series sales, too.

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

Teens want things like better cameras because they love posting selfies and videos. iPhone has had the same selfie cam and starting storage for like what, 4 years?

 

[oldwatery]

I had (still have) a 15, but was on vacation in San Francisco the day after the launch and said what the hell, might as well get a 16. I did. It's better than the 15, it definitely feels much snappier. The gap between the 15 and 15 Pro was much wider than between the 16 and 16 Pro. It's almost the same phone sans the obvious.

I went for the regular 16, and got an Apple Watch Series 10 as well.

Sorry but I just can’t wrap my head around this. It must be nice to buy an over $1000 phone for no other reason than you happened to be near a store when it came out! And…feels MUCH snappier…..what does that even mean with a phone?

 

[oldwatery]

That is a long read about a perceived 1% dip. Pretty desperate reporting me thinks.

 

[msackey]

There wouldn't have been a slight dip if Apple had released conforming their marketing: iPhone 16 with Apple Intelligence.

I feel like I agree!

I think Apple doesn't need to adhere to yearly upgrades. From a recently article, sounds like they may not be moving forward. They should release when "appropriate". Build up enough new features, then release an upgrade. Doing it year after year around the same time puts an artificial release date, an unnecessary constraint.

 

[Böhme417]

Disagree. I'm not a ChatGPT user myself, but have been shocked by the number of business acquaintances that turn to it for business advice. It has essentially replaced Google for them.

Having intelligence built into your phone, an Apple phone, rather than having to install an app, will be very attractive to many.

Apple is executing exactly like they always have... incrementally, methodically, and carefully. That's their difference and strength.

It works well for them and well for consumers. Apple Intelligence will become a well-used feature because it's "just there".

That might be true in the future as the feature matures, buts it’s not there right now, and I don’t think it’s a driving feature for sales.

 

[AlexESP]

Great analysis, if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s based on a poll showing a 1% decrease which is probably not even statistically significant.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Even though the internet likes to perpetuate the idea that everyone is financially strapped, there are plenty of people out there who aren’t and will buy their kids whatever they ask for.

That's why I said ask the parents, not the kids. Of course every kid plans to upgrade every year. That doesn't mean the parents will go for it though.

 

[SVTmaniac]

Ever since the iPhone X I got a new phone every year. That was until I got my 14PM. I just don’t see the point anymore. I bought a new case and screen protector last week and I just scheduled to have a new battery installed at Apple. So for $130 I got what feels like a brand new phone again that does 99% of what a new 16PM does.

I’ll likely wait until the 17 or even 18 comes out then just pick up a used 16PM and repeat that cycle for the foreseeable future. Just not enough technology breakthrough with phones anymore to justify a new one every cycle.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

The kids know this iPhone 16 is wack

 

[AlexESP]

Using common sense it’s not hard to see the iPhone 16 line up isn’t selling well. It doesn’t offer anything special. And the thing that would set it apart I only hear complaints about.

Saying that mobile phones plateaud and there isn’t much Apple can do to make it better makes me laugh.

How about some decent RAM, 120 hz screen refresh, better cameras.

All the areas Apple was king has been lost to competitors. I really like to see their financial sheets 31 October. China is the place where people are more technically interested and want the latest and greatest. If Apple loses marketshare in China, the rest of the world will follow.

I think common sense in this case is a much better factor than a 1% change in a poll. The problem is that “common sense” hasn’t been great when forecasting iPhone sales. The priorities of tech forums are not the priorities of most users.

Specially funny to mention China, since we had this case a few quarters ago when all forecasts said iPhone sales were tanking in China while they actually *increased* (as opposed to the general trend as far as I recall).

 

[Darren.h]

if its anything like AI on Android I hate it.

It activates by accident. like a Siri gone wild.

I only like AI when taking pictures.

Otherwise stay out of my life

The iPhone 16 was a boring upgrade. face it. thats why demand is down this year.

 

[upthetoffees]

There wouldn't have been a slight dip if Apple had released conforming their marketing: iPhone 16 with Apple Intelligence.

No. The dip comes as recent phones were good enough, ok mini computers which you can use to phone, not phones. I only just upgraded from 11, and it was fine still. They made solid phones for years and prices went up. There is no need to upgrade all the time.

There is no time machine all of a sudden or a flux capacitor.

 

[macfacts]

What Apple offers is not cutting-edge technology, but integration. Yes, you might find a stand-alone app but what we want is for Aple's upcoming AI to in integrated into (say) Apple's Photos or the email app. I want Siri to be able to find that photo of "Mary and her dog I took in 2016, maybe in San Diego, CA". I do not want to have to download a special "AI-Photo-Search" app from a company that might go bust in 2 years.

And while you might try and download those "few dozen" apps, they will all be different and not work together.

Apple is offering none of that. They are offering a promise of that. Apple isn't going to go bust in 2 years cause they'll still be working on it, ready for release.

 

[arc of the universe]

AI is not a feature. It's a capability. It doesn't command a whole new product. And people know it.

totally agree that apple's AI is more of a capability, rather than just a feature.

and that's totally why i am upgrading this year.

 

[scorpio vega]

I feel like you'd get more accurate info by asking the parents if they plan to upgrade their kids phone. They're the ones with the money. lol. Of course every kid wants to upgrade.

Not necessarily. My brother works and has since he is 13. He usually only has to tell my parents he wants to upgrade lol. He’s paying for the phone.

Kids these days actually have jobs.

 

[scorpio vega]

Not just teens.

Totally over the upgrade treadmill. These devices are just too expensive to jump for no particular reason…

How much are y’all paying?
I just trade my phone in yearly lol