You know how a market research firm literally just released new data earlier this week suggesting iPhone 14 sales could start off on the wrong foot next month based on steady demand for Apple's previous-generation high-end handsets?
Surprisingly (or not), a different firm is now sharing a different set of data pretty much directly contradicting the above prediction after comparing the current iPhone 14 buying intentions of Apple users with the interest generated by the iPhone 13 family roughly this time last year.
Excitement is highest among iPhone 12 owners
Although the latest survey conducted by savings.com has a relatively small sample size of 1,504 US iPhone users aged 18 and older, it definitely says something that the share of people firmly planning to purchase a new Apple handset is up from 10 percent at the beginning of September 2021 to 14 percent this month.
Specifically, what this (slight) increase suggests is that current iPhone owners (stateside, at least) are not as bothered by the oft-rumored price hike in the cards this fall as many analysts might expect.
Granted, the potentially excessive price tags of the iPhone 14, 14 Max, and especially the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are named as the second big reason why 54 percent of survey respondents have no plans for an upgrade anytime soon, far ahead of such arguments as "the iPhone 14 seems too similar to iPhone 13" and the lack of "valuable or useful" features.
But in addition to the number of people claiming they'll absolutely get a new iPhone as soon as the next generation is released, the undecided percentage is also on the rise (from 26 to 32 percent), which clearly bodes well for Apple's sales figures these next few months too.
Interestingly, it looks like the bulk of early iPhone 14 adopters will come (at least in the US) from folks that last upgraded their iPhones in the recent or fairly recent past. This may have a little something to do with carriers encouraging such frequent upgrades, although both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 are ahead of the iPhone 13 in the savings.com chart of devices likely to be upgraded in the coming months.
What are the most exciting iPhone 14 features?
According to this survey, prospective buyers of Apple's next big things are primarily looking forward to an "improved/faster processor", "improved storage capability", and "improved 48-megapixel rear camera."
All of those things strongly suggest demand will be particularly high for the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max considering that the "regular" iPhone 14 and 14 Max may not pack the same "improved" Apple A16 Bionic chipset as their more advanced siblings while also snubbing the 48MP shooter and starting at the same 128 gigs of storage space as their forerunners.
Then again, Apple fans excited by the prospect of an entry-level iPhone 14 Pro configuration with 256GB local digital hoarding room might be in for an unpleasant surprise, and it obviously remains to be seen how these kinds of last-minute surprises will impact people's final buying decisions.
The "smaller cutouts on display", aka the revised notch of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, in case you're wondering, is a disappointing number seven on the list of the family's most sought-after features, behind an "improved" selfie shooter, the big satellite connectivity upgrade that didn't happen last year (and may not materialize this year either), and a "retro design inspired by iPhone 4."
In a nutshell, it looks like potential iPhone 14 buyers are really not that interested in the external appearance of Apple's next-gen mobile powerhouses, while firm holdouts are intent on holding out mostly because their current devices "work fine", which is a refreshingly sensible outlook.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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