Yesterday evening, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that iPhone 11 demand was better than expected during the first 72 hours of pre-orders, particularly in China. Now, other analysts are corroborating Kuo’s claims as we inch closer to the iPhone 11 launch on Friday.
Reuters details that several analysts and retailers are citing supply chain and shipment checks as they claim massive improvements in new iPhone demand compared to last year. JD.com, a Chinese e-commerce site, says that iPhone 11 pre-orders are up 480 percent compared to last year.
In terms of colors, the retailer says that midnight green is the most popular color for the iPhone 11 Pro. For the iPhone 11, black and purple are said to be topping the charts in China. Meanwhile, iPhone 11 sales on Alibaba’s online Tmall commerce platform are reportedly up 335 percent compared to the iPhone XR last year.
Elsewhere, Instinet analysts, a division of Nomura bank, say that iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro demand is “ahead of last year’s launches.” They say that an increase in unit sales could offset a potential drop in average selling price:
“We are careful about extrapolating first weekend data, though it is fair to say it is ahead of last year’s launches,” Instinet analysts wrote in a note. “Should the early shipment time data hold and translate to unit volumes, Apple may be able to offset this year’s average selling price reduction.”
Daniel Ives, analyst at Wedbush, also told Reuters that early supplier checks throughout Asia indicate that iPhone 11 demand is “looking good” so far. Ives has not yet published a detailed look at iPhone 11 demand, though.
TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo yesterday increased his estimate for new iPhone shipments in 2019 to 70-75 million units, up from his previous 65-70 million estimate. Kuo said that the availability of trade-in programs and financing was stimulating upgrades this year. He also noted that $699 price point of the iPhone 11 is making it an ideal upgrade for users of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 7.
The first iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro pre-orders are shipping to customers now, with the devices officially becoming available on September 20th.