Apple Seeing Strong iPhone 12 Pro Demand Ahead of Christmas
Sales are booming right now for a lot of different consumer tech and electronics products. And that apparently includes Apple’s (AAPL) – Get Report costliest iPhones.
With Christmas two weeks away, certain iPhone 12 Pro ($999 starting price) and iPhone 12 Pro Max ($1,099 starting price) models are back-ordered into January on Apple’s U.S. website. In particular, a number of iPhone 12 Pro models meant for T-Mobile and Verizon subscribers have a Jan. 11 delivery date, and some Pro Max models have a Jan. 4 delivery date.
The situation often isn’t much (if any) better on international Apple sites. Apple’s Chinese website typically shows delivery times of 3-4 weeks for iPhone 12 Pro models and 1-2 weeks for Pro Max models. Its U.K. website tends to show 2-3 week delivery times for the iPhone 12 Pro and 2-week delivery times for the Pro Max. And its Japanese website tends to show a delivery window of Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 for both Pro and Pro Max models.
By contrast, the standard iPhone 12 is generally available for immediate delivery on Apple’s websites, as is the iPhone 12 Mini.
Such delivery windows fit with what analysts have been reporting about iPhone 12 demand.
“Our recent Asia checks continue to be bullish around iPhone 12 demand both domestically and in China,” wrote Wedbush analyst Dan Ives on Tuesday. “In the U.S., we are seeing ‘a clear tick up’ for demand around the iPhone 12 Pro versions, with the 6.1-inch model the star of the show so far with carrier trade-ins/promotions catalyzing upgrades into the holidays.”
Ives added that the iPhone supply chain is now anticipating 80 million iPhone 12 shipments for the smartphone line’s initial launch period. “To put this in context, heading into late October we were anticipating 75 million units as the line in the sand and roughly eight weeks ago this number was in the 65 million to 70 million range,” he wrote.
For his part, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in late November that iPhone 12 Pro/Pro Max demand was higher than he expected, while iPhone 12/12 Mini demand was lower than expected. Kuo also reported seeing strong demand for Apple’s refreshed iPad Air.
Supply chain reports have also generally pointed to…