Lead time trends show strong demand continues for the iPhone 16 Pro Max globally
As of today, it has been 32 days since Apple started accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 16 series. As you might expect, lead times for orders placed with Apple have come down. This is normal since the mad rush to reserve one of the latest iPhone models starts fading once the phones are released. A look at Wall Street firm J.P. Morgan's Apple Product Availability Tracker, based on global lead times, reveals some interesting information.
Lead times for the iPhone 16 base model have dropped from four days during week number 4 to three days in week 5 signifying a drop off in demand. The lead time for the iPhone 16 Plus was cut in half from six days to three days from week 4 to week 5. But these numbers show strong demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Demand for the former is considered to be strong even though the lead time for the device did drop from 22 days during week 4 to 21 days during week 5.
Early weakness in iPhone 16 series sales was called an "aberration" by analysts
The most impressive showing belonged to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The lead time for the top-of-the-line model had a 29-day lead time during week 4 and managed to maintain that lead time during week 5 indicating that demand is strong for the device. Analysts now say that early reports of weak iPhone 16 series sales were "an aberration."
Lead times for the iPhone 16 series over the five weeks since the start of pre-orders. | Image credit-AppleInsider
The iPhone 16 Pro Max lead time has remained at 29 days for the last four weeks which indicates true stability in sales of the device. Compare that to the numbers for the iPhone 16; the lead time for that model went from 17 days to just 3 days in four weeks. There is no doubt that demand for the iPhone 16 Pro line is strong with the iPhone 16 Pro Max leading the way.
Let's see how this trend compares with the Apple Product Availability Tracker for the iPhone 15 series last year. Okay, by the fifth week following the start of pre-orders last year, the iPhone 15 had a lead time of three days which matches the lead time for this year's iPhone 16 after week 5. The iPhone 15 Plus had a lead time of 15 days after week five compared to three days for the iPhone 16 Plus following the fifth week. This indicates very weak demand for the iPhone 16 Plus and explains why Apple is reportedly dropping the iPhone Plus next year and replacing it with the ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max had even better lead times last year of 22 and 33 days, respectively, after week 5. Feel free to compare that with the iPhone 16 Pro's fifth-week lead time of 21 days and the 29-day lead time for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
In the U.S., the iPhone 16 saw its week 5 lead time remain at four weeks. from the previous week. The iPhone 16 Plus saw its U.S. lead time decline from seven days to four days from week 4 to week 5. U.S. lead times for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max were unchanged from week 4 to week 5 at 21 days and 28 days respectively.
If reading about porch pirates stealing boxes of iPhones immediately after getting delivered has you heading to retail stores to buy an iPhone 16 series model, tracking shows that while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is much harder to find in a store, all variants of the other three models are available. Overall, there seems to be evidence of strongf demand in the U.S. for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
In China, all four iPhone 16 models have seen their lead times drop from week 4 to week 5 with the non-Pro handsets both declining from five days to one day. During the same week, the iPhone 16 Pro lead times dropped from 23 days down to 20 and the iPhone 16 Pro Max went from 30 days to 26 days. Chinese retail stores matched the numbers generated by U.S. retailers.
What are the lead times for the iPhone 16 series in Europe?
In Germany, the iPhone 16 lead time dropped to three days from four days moving from week 4 to week 5. During the same time, German lead times for the iPhone 16 Plus dropped from seven days to three days. The Pro models during week 5 in Germany are showing signs of demand with the iPhone 16 Pro up from 21 days to 22 days week-to-week while the iPhone Pro Max rose from 29 days to 31 days during the successive weeks. In Germany, most iPhone 16 variants are available in stores.
J.P. Morgan's report shows strong global demand for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. | Image credit-PhoneArena
In the U.K. the iPhone 16 lead times remained at five days from week 4 to week 5 while the iPhone 16 Plus dropped from five days to four days. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max remained at 22 and 29 days week-to-week. In U.K. stores, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus can be found although the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max cannot be found on store shelves.
The report shows just how strong demand remains for the iPhone 16 Pro series models, especially the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
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