Pre-orders for Apple’s iPhone XR have already eclipsed the demand Apple saw for last year’s iPhone 8 models, according to a new investor note from Ming-Chi Kuo. Originally brought to light by MacRumors, Kuo also adds that pre-order demand for the XR is somewhat lower than pre-order demand for Apple’s pricier XS models. That notwithstanding, Kuo still anticipates that XR demand will remain more consistent throughout the rest of 2018 and into 2019.
Apple has since stopped publishing press releases regarding pre-order figures for new iPhone models, but it stands to reason that the iPhone XR will easily be the company’s most popular model across its 2018 iPhone lineup. What makes the XR exceedingly compelling is that it offers users Apple’s new iPhone design identity that was introduced on last year’s iPhone X at a relatively affordable price point. Indeed, many iPhone owners interested in upgrading last year were naturally put off by the iPhone X’s $999 starting price. What’s more, last year’s iPhone 8 — though it boasted some nice features and impressive hardware — really didn’t look any different from the iPhone 6. Put simply, the iPhone XR is reasonably priced and looks like a next-gen device.
At a cheaper price point, the iPhone XR does have some tradeoffs. First and foremost, the XR features an LCD display as opposed to the OLED panels used on Apple’s iPhone XS models. Truthfully, though, most current users upgrading from non-iPhone X devices won’t even know what they’re missing. Other features iPhone XR users will miss out on include support for 3D Touch and a higher ceiling on LTE speeds.
For users who were able to get their pre-orders in on time, devices are slated to arrive this coming Friday.
