Smartphone buyers are spending less on new phones this year amid rising inflation and economic uncertainties. But Apple doesn’t share the fate of Android vendors, as iPhone demand continues to be high. A new Bloomberg report says Apple instructed suppliers to manufacture at least 90 million iPhone 14 units, on par with the initial iPhone 13 production run.
Separately, a report from China claims Apple might manufacture up to 95 million iPhone 14 units this year. The increase indicates Apple expects strong iPhone 14 sales despite the sales slowdown impacting all other smartphone makers.
Apple is confident sales will outperform the market
Citing people familiar with the market, Bloomberg says that Apple instructed assemblers to manufacture 90 million iPhone 14 units. The figure matches the initial production run for the iPhone 13. A year earlier, Apple asked suppliers to produce 75 million iPhone 12 units for the initial run.
Furthermore, Apple expects to assemble about 220 million iPhones this year. The figure would match last year’s performance.
The report notes that Apple’s projects are a “closely guarded secret.” Moreover, Bloomberg says that Apple is confident about weathering the slump in smartphone sales that will impact competitors.
According to the IDC, the global smartphone market dropped by 9% during the June quarter. The market will shrink 3.5% this year compared to 2021. Meanwhile, Apple’s latest quarterly earnings report indicated that the iPhone was a strong seller during the period.
Separately Taiwan Economic Times said a few days ago that Apple told suppliers to increase production to 95 million units.
Also, well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo offered various predictions about the iPhone 14 production status. He signaled various supply issues but said Apple had solutions to ensure manufacturing is on track. Furthermore, he said the new handsets will do very well, expecting significant iPhone 14 sales in China after launch.
When will Apple launch the iPhone 14 series?
The analyst also noted the iPhone 14 average selling price will grow by 15% this year. That’s an indication the iPhone 14 price will go up compared to the iPhone 13. Kuo said that the iPhone 14 Pro models will have a higher cost. Also, the handsets will account for a significant share of iPhone 14 manufacturing.
Other reports also note that the iPhone 14 Pro models will be $100 more expensive than the iPhone 13 Pros. But the cheapest iPhone 14 variant will still start at $799 in the US.
As for the iPhone 14 launch event, the press conference is on track for mid-September. A leaker said that Apple might hold the launch event earlier than expected, offering a September 6th date for the keynote. In such a case, the iPhone 14 models would hit stores on September 16th, at least a week earlier than expected.
iPhone 14 sales projections and launch speculations aside, Apple is yet to confirm anything. The iPhone maker will announce the launch event only a week before it’s supposed to happen. We’re still looking at a pre-recorded virtual press conference.
As for manufacturing plans, don’t expect Apple to confirm any of the figures that suppliers might offer. We’ll have to wait for quarterly earnings reports to determine how well the iPhone 14 sold. However, Apple won’t disclose the total number of iPhone 14 sales for the period.
More iPhone coverage: For more iPhone news, visit our iPhone 14 guide.
