Ever since the iPhone 14 Plus arrived in October, we’ve been hearing reports that it’s been sitting on shelves. Now it appears as though the situation is so dire, Apple may implement a whole new strategy with the iPhone 15.
According to a post by yeux1122 on Naver (translation), the flagging sales of the iPhone 14 Plus are “far beyond” even Apple’s lowest estimates and Apple is considering new strategies with the iPhone 15 to reverse the trend.
Apple plans its phone releases years in advance, so it’s unlikely to cancel its plans for the iPhone 15 Plus. However, Apple is “seriously” considering a price reduction. The iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899 while the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has the same screen size, costs just $200 more with numerous extra features: A16 chip, ProMotion display with the Dynamic Island, telephoto camera, and stainless-steel design. Yeux1122 claims it is “highly likely” that Apple lowers the price of the iPhone 15 Plus.
A price cut to $849 or $799 would also affect the smaller 6.1-inch model, which starts at $799. When Apple removed the $699 mini model from the line, Apple effectively raised the cost of the iPhone 14 line, which may have affected sales of the lower-end iPhones. It’s unclear whether Apple is considering a price cut for the iPhone 14 Plus.
Apple’s newest iPhone was supposed to be the answer to the iPhone 13 mini’s struggles, but it appears to be selling just as poorly as its tiny predecessor. Sales of the Pro models, however, are reportedly surging as Apple continues to separate the two lines with high-end features. According to yeux1122’s report, that strategy is “definitive” and Apple is likely to lean into the differences between the two lines “to the extent that the market can understand them.”
Yyeux1122 has a decent track record for leaks, accurately predicting the iPhone 14 Pro’s price, chip, and colors, as well as the 10th-gen iPad’s design changes and release date. The iPhone 15 is expected to be unveiled at an event in September so Apple’s current plans could very well change.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.