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Metrics suggest iPhone 12 has kicked off an 'unprecedented upgrade cycle'

By Anam Hamid

Updated: Jul 06, 2021, 7:07 AM

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Metrics suggest iPhone 12 has kicked off an 'unprecedented upgrade cycle'

The new iPhone 12 models are Apple's first smartphones to offer 5G connectivity and they come at a time when approximately 350 million out of 950 million iPhones out there are due for an upgrade. Analysts were expecting these factors to trigger a supercycle and Wedbush's Daniel Ives thinks it's already happing, as reported by AppleInsider.

Supply checks indicate that demand for the iPhone 12 is robust in the US and China, and Ives believes Apple will ship over 80 million iPhone 12 units in the initial launch period. Ives had earlier said China would be key to the iPhone 12 supercycle.

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Demand for the Pro models seems to be particularly strong, with the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro being dubbed the "star of the show." This is also great news for Apple's average selling price (ASP).

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The delay in the launch of the 5G iPhone 12 series and the economic challenges posed by the pandemic had led some analysts to cast doubts on the possibility of a supercycle, with some saying sales wouldn't even reach the 70 million mark by the end of the year.

Apple, on the other hand, was reportedly expecting sales of over 75 million units and it was anticipating strong demand for the iPhone 12 Pro Max in particular.

The last time an iPhone model was phenomenally successful was when the iPhone 6 was released in 2014. It reportedly generated 71.5 million unit sales within three months of launch.

We have not seen a launch uptrend such as this in a number of years for Apple and the only iPhone trajectory similar would be the iPhone 6 in 2014 based on our analysis.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 were nearly twice that of the iPhone 11 per estimates.

With the holidays coming up, demand is only going to increase.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.