Last year, the iPhone 13 proved to be the most popular device on the market, indicating that consumers were drawn to flagship devices but at the lower end of the spectrum rather than the top end. Now, this year, the pricey iPhone 14 Pro Max from Cupertino, California has edged it out and taken the crown. This reflects a change in consumer demand, as there is an evident movement towards more advanced and expensive models.
Research firm Omdia's report "Smartphone Model Market Tracker - 2Q23" revealed that the iPhone 14 was the most-shipped smartphone in the first half of the year, suggesting a move away from low- to mid-range phones towards more high-end devices.Out of any model from any manufacturer, Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max shipped 26.5 million units during the January-to-June period, and the iPhone 14 Pro 21 million units.The iPhone 14 was the third top-shipping model with 16.5 million units, and the iPhone 13 sold 15.5 million units.The same report showed that the iPhone 13 was the bestselling device on the market last year, suggesting that consumers were still opting for flagship devices but at the entry level.However, this year the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the priciest of the tech giant's phone selection, has become the top-selling.This could be due to the changing consumer choices to invest in more expensive parts of the market, as well as manufacturers focusing more on camera upgrades and better chips in their comparatively minor device upgrades.Despite being necessary for both work and personal life, steep prices from leading brands like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi have been discouraging people from purchasing top-end phones.
Consumers are holding onto their devices for longer than before, and waiting until they need a device replacement before buying one. Furthermore, consumers have displayed a higher willingness to pay a high premium for the more expensive device models in the range that have the latest features. According to Omdia, the Samsung Galaxy A14 was the fifth highest-selling phone in the first half, shipping 12.4 million units, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra was sixth with 9.6 million shipments. Chinese manufacturers were not present in the top 10 best-shipping smartphones, as their mid- to low-end market experienced a slump. Omdia anticipates that with the forthcoming iPhone 15 launch, Apple will see either flat or lower shipments than previous year. However, Apple's Pro and Pro Max models may see an increase due to strong demand. Global smartphone shipments are expected to decline 6% this year, totalling 1.15 billion devices, marking the worst performance in a decade. Apple shares rose less than 1% during Monday's early trading. The company's stock has risen 37.5% year to date.
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