U.S. Apple iPhone sales slump as consumers wait to get a look at the new 5G models
As consumers wait for Apple to officially unveil the first 5G iPhone models, sales of the iPhone 11 series have been in a bit of a slump according to investment banking firm J.P. Morgan (via SeekingAlpha). The banking company sent out a note to clients today that says current demand for all iPhone models is "moderating substantially." The data comes from analysis firm Wave7 Research who says that while sales for the iPhone SE (2020), "appear to be holding up much better in recent months at certain carriers, we do see a moderation in momentum for the lower-end iPhone as well."
Apple iPhone sales slump in the states as consumers await the unveiling of the new models
The slump in sales of the previous year's iPhone models usually takes place just prior to the introduction of Apple's latest handsets. With the upcoming phones the first from Apple to include 5G support, we could see a bigger slowdown than usual and more consumers move to the sidelines to get a look at the iPhone 12 line before deciding whether to buy one. We know that next Tuesday, Apple will hold a virtual event that could star the fourth-generation iPad Air tablet, and the Apple Watch Series 6. Apple has already announced that the release of the four iPhone 12 units will be delayed.
There are many questions surrounding the iPhone 12 line
During the conference call that Apple held following the release of its fiscal third-quarter earnings report, Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri said, "As you know, last year we started selling iPhones in late September. This year, we expect supply to be available a few weeks later." With much of Apple's supply chain temporarily shut down by the pandemic earlier this year, Apple is running behind its usual schedule.
We expect Apple to launch four new iPhones this year including a 5.4-inch iPhone 12, a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max, a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and a 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. All four models will be powered by the 5nm A14 Bionic chipset containing 15 billion transistors, 76% more than the 8.5 billion that are inside the A13 Bionic. The higher the transistor count, the more powerful and energy-efficient a chip is.
The two non-pro models should carry 4GB of storage each with 6GB of RAM found in the Pro units. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Max will have a rear camera module containing Wide and Ultra-wide lenses. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will have the same cameras but will add a telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. While it isn't clear which phones are getting the LiDAR time-of-flight depth sensor (some say only the iPhone 12 Pro Max will receive it), the sensor will deliver more accurate depth measurements for enhanced AR capabilities and improved bokeh blurs on portraits. Also unclear at the moment is exactly which iPhone 12 models-if any-will support both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G signals. The latter delivers zippy fast 5G data speeds but the signals are not as widely available as sub-6GHz 5G is.
As for this Tuesdays' virtual event, we could see Apple announce the fourth-generation iPad Air. The tablet could have a new look that will be similar to the design of the iPad Pro. The Touch ID/Home button will be gone allowing Apple to reduce the size of the bezels thus giving the user an edge-to-edge display. Touch ID could wind up integrated inside the side power button. The fourth-generation iPad Air should arrive with a 10.8-inch display powered by a variant of last year's A13 Bionic chip.
Leaked pamphlet shows what could be a new design for the fourth-gen iPad Air
The Apple Watch Series 6 might feature a longer-lasting battery and we expect to see it equipped with a pulse oximeter. The latter measures the saturation of oxygen in a user's red blood cells. It can measure how well a heart is pumping and can even deliver an advance warning about a possible COVID-19 infection. As we told you earlier today, tipster Jon Prosser says that Apple could also introduce a more affordable version of its popular timepiece with a design based on the Apple Watch Series 4 and a new chip called the M9. Case sizes could be 40mm and 44mm with GPS and Cellular versions of both.
This Tuesday we might also finally see Apple introduce Apple Tag, a tracking device that works in conjunction with the Find My app to help users find lost items that have been tagged.
It all starts on Tuesday, September 15th, at 10 am PDT/ 1 pm EDT. While the iPhone 12 line might not even be part of the "Time Flies" event, that name might not have anything to do with the Apple Watch as many have assumed. Remember, the LiDAR depth sensor works by measuring the time it takes for an infrared beam to bounce off of a subject and return to the sensor. In other words, "Time Flies." So the LiDAR sensor will probably play a big role in whatever we see on Tuesday and that could mean that there is still a chance that the iPhone 12 series will be involved one way or another.
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