Top Apple analyst raises estimate of iPhone shipments following better than expected pre-orders

Reliable TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is weighing in on the first three days of pre-orders for the 2019 Apple iPhone models. According to 9to5Mac, Kuo says that interest in the more affordable iPhone 11 is higher than expected because of a couple of reasons he cited in a new report. One reason is obvious; by pricing the base model $50 cheaper than the lowest-priced version of last year's iPhone XR, Apple is making the 64GB version of the iPhone 11 seem like a bargain at $699. In addition, he points to the new color options that are available this year for the 2019 iPhones and sees higher demand for three specific models.

Those three models include the iPhone 11 in Green and Purple and the iPhone 11 Pro/Pro Max in Midnight Green. Kuo notes that Apple has been experiencing difficulties producing the latter variant because of issues with the phone's glass panel. As a result, there could be shortages of this particular color option. The analyst also sees differences in the demand for the new phones in Apple's top two markets. In China, he predicts that the iPhone 11 will be the big seller while in the states the iPhone 11 Pro will be the model of choice.

Earlier forecasts by Kuo called for Apple to ship 65 million to 70 million units of the new handsets this year, but he has bumped that a bit higher. The new estimate calls for 70 million to 75 million units to be delivered in 2019. Kuo says that Apple's aggressive pricing of the iPhone 11 makes it irresistible to consumers still using an iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 owners. While models from the iPhone 6s and up are getting the iOS 13 update this year, it is likely that this will be the last hurrah for the iPhone 6s.

As we told you this morning, it would appear that those pre-ordering the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max models this weekend have shunned the Gold version of these phones. While new orders for most configurations were listed as shipping in 2 to 3 weeks, several versions in Gold were still listed with a September 20th arrival date.

The changes that Apple made to its new iPhones centered on the cameras, battery life, and water resistance. The iPhone 11 has two cameras on the back including a 12MP Wide or Primary and a 12MP Ultra-wide. The iPhone Pro has three cameras on the back including the 12MP Wide, the 12MP Ultra-wide and a telephoto lens carrying a 2x optical zoom. Both versions now have a Night mode for taking viewable pictures in low-light conditions, and can record slofies; these are selfies recorded in slo-mo. The iPhone 11 has one additional hour of battery life compared to the iPhone XR; the latter already had the longest battery life of any iPhone ever made. The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max have 4 and 5 more hours of battery life respectively than the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.

Apple has enhanced the new phones' protection from water. The iPhone 11 can be submerged to a depth of 6 and a half feet for as long as 30 minutes while the iPhone 11 Pro models can be submerged to a depth slightly over 13 feet for the same time period. Of course, the warranty still doesn't cover water damage so you take your device into the pool at your own risk.

Pre-orders for the new iPhone models continue through this Thursday, September 19th. The next day, the pre-paid orders will start arriving and the devices will start to appear on store shelves.