I’m surprised at how low demand for the iPhone 18 Pro seems to be

The iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max are not major upgrades over the iPhone 17 Pro models. However, given what’s there, I am still surprised by how little demand there seems to be for Apple’s newest flagships. At least outside of China, where people really seem to be loving the new Burgundy color.

So many of you are not upgrading

In a recent poll, we asked you if you had pre-ordered an iPhone 18 Pro. Most of you, a little over 38 percent of voters, said that you were not upgrading this year.

In a similar vein, over 14 percent of respondents said that they were waiting for the iPhone Duo instead. A little less than six percent of voters, meanwhile, said that they were waiting for the base iPhone 18 to come out next year instead.

It’s not a total wash

Of course, it would be unrealistic for Apple to fail to move any units at all. The iPhone is, after all, a major annual event in the smartphone industry.

Almost 28 percent of you said that you had, indeed, pre-ordered an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max. Lastly, 14 percent of voters said that, while they hadn’t pre-ordered an iPhone 18 Pro, they were going to buy one eventually.

What about you? Have the new iPhone 18 Pro models piqued your interest?

The iPhone 18 Pro perfected the iPhone 17 Pro

I’m surprised at how low demand for the iPhone 18 Pro seems to be — as also evidenced by other estimates across the industry — because these models perfected the iPhone 17 Pro.

The Dynamic Island was improved and made smaller, the battery life is genuinely some of the most impressive that we’ve ever seen on a phone, and the chassis looks a lot better because the rear glass panel sits more uniformly with the body now.

I expected a lot more demand just because of the gorgeous new Burgundy color, which seems to be the case over in China, but apparently that wasn’t enough.

On the other hand, I’m not too surprised either

However, I think I can piece together the reason for the lowered demand this year. Simply put, there’s not enough incentive to upgrade.

Think about it, the iPhone 17 Pro models were exciting and new. After years of looking the same, the iPhone suddenly picked up a refreshed design.

What likely happened is that most people upgraded last year because of this one reason, even if normally they might have waited another year or two. So it makes perfect sense that, for another minor annual upgrade, these customers are perfectly content with sticking with their iPhone 17 Pro.

More iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max:

• iPhone 18 Pro colors matter more than you think
• iPhone 18 Pro demand surprisingly low
• iPhone 18 Pro review

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