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The iPhone 11's performing so well it's almost beating Apple's expectations

By Joshua Swingle

Published: Oct 16, 2019, 4:47 AM

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The iPhone 11's performing so well it's almost beating Apple's expectations

The iPhone 11 has been on sale for almost one month and all signs point towards a surprisingly fantastic start. So much so that it could soon exceed Apple’s best-case scenario sales estimates.

Apple is now targeting 75 million iPhone shipments

Earlier this month, CEO Tim Cook revealed the iPhone 11 series was off to a “very strong start.” No further details were provided but a report by Bloomberg suggests the success is largely down to the iPhone 11’s price tag – it starts at $699 rather than $749 like last year’s iPhone XR – and a huge group of customers still using older iPhone models.

As pointed out by the publication, the arrival of the iPhone 6 in 2014 and iPhone 6s in 2015 led to a record upgrade cycle. Some of these customers have since purchased newer devices but a huge portion of the user base is still rocking an iPhone that’s between four and five years old and, therefore, facing several inevitable issues like a lack of software support and compatibility with modern Apple services, slower processors, and aging batteries.

These factors are what’s driving an entirely new upgrade boom this year that’s already forced Apple to revise its iPhone 11 orders. Specifically, the Cupertino-based giant has recently asked global suppliers to target shipments of 75 million units for 2019 rather than the initial estimate of 70 million iPhones. This represents the high-end of Apple's early targets and means iPhone 11 demand is close to surpassing the company's expectations.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the regular iPhone 11 priced at $699 is leading the way in terms of sales due to its aggressive pricing. The 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro has also proven to be a surprise hit among customers because of the third rear camera and extended battery life, with Apple itself still struggling to keep up with demand – orders in some markets won’t ship until early or mid-November.

The iPhone SE2 should help maintain strong sales in early 2020

Demand for the iPhone 11 Pro is expected to drop off as we move in to 2020 but sales of the regular iPhone 11 should remain pretty steady. In fact, the smartphone will probably be crowned the best-selling smartphone globally during the first six months of 2020 like its predecessor was this year. Speaking of bestsellers, the iPhone 11 Pro might make an appearance in the bottom half of the top 10 and could potentially be joined by the upcoming iPhone SE2 which is on track for release in late March.

The smartphone, which will be a spiritual successor to the original iPhone SE and a more direct replacement for the aging iPhone 8, is reportedly going to arrive powered by the Apple A13 Bionic that’s currently found inside the iPhone 11 series instead of the Apple A11 Bionic used inside the iPhone 8. This should be paired with 64GB of storage and 3GB of RAM. Also to be expected is a 4.7-inch LCD display sans 3D Touch paired with thick bezels and a physical home button which incorporates Touch ID. This might also be accompanied by the same 7-megapixel selfie snapper and 12-megapixel rear camera found on the iPhone 8, although these details are yet to be corroborated.

Reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the iPhone SE2, which should be sold in Space Gray, Silver, and Product Red, will be a “key growth driver” for Apple next year thanks to a predicted price tag of just $399. Suppliers have reportedly been asked to prepare for production of up to four million units per month in a bid to help Apple achieve its sales goal of between 30 and 40 million iPhone SE2 shipments by the end of 2020.