Apple concentrates production on the iPhone 14 Pros at the expense of the regular ones

by techlowdown · 9 September 2022

The long-awaited iPhone 14 is finally here, and although you can pre-order whichever phone from the lineup you want, it appears that Apple is hoping you will pick up one of the two new Pro models.

Prolific leaker Ming-Chi Kuo just posted the results of a survey, which clearly shows that Apple has prioritized production of the iPhone 14 Pro models at the expense of the regular ones. As per the results, the total order allocation for the two Pro models is around 85%. The numbers for the iPhone 14 are about 10%, and the percentage for the iPhone 14 Plus is less than 5%.

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Latest offline pre-order survey for iPhone 14 series in China
1. The total order allocation for two 14 Pros is about 85%.
2. 14 Plus has the lowest order allocation (less than 5%).

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) September 9, 2022

Now, the iPhone 14 Plus’s smaller order allocation percentage is understandable. The regular and the Pro iPhone 14 models will hit the shelves on September 16th. However, the iPhone 14 Plus won’t be available until October, so it makes sense for Apple to concentrate the production on the models that will come sooner. But what about the huge gap between the Pro models and the regular iPhone 14?

In this regard, Ming-Chi Kuo stated that pre-orders for Apple’s high-end products have always been more popular in the early stages of the release. However, this year’s order allocation for the Pro models is higher compared to previous years. And, according to Kuo, this perfectly reflects Apple’s new product segmentation strategy, i.e., to introduce major upgrades only to the Pro models.

To tell you the truth, Kuo is right on this one. Yes, you can buy every phone from the new lineup, but if you want all the latest features Apple has to offer — and we as tech enthusiasts always want all the newest stuff — then you don’t have much of a choice, you need to go with one of the Pro models and pay extra. So this way, Apple tips the scales in favor of the more expensive models, thus making more profit in the process.