iPhone XS & iPhone XR shipments forecast to top 85M by end of 2018, most being XR

With just a few months left to go, the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR are nevertheless predicted to beat 85 million units by 2019, according to a new research estimate.

The 6.1-inch XR, coming in October, should account for over 50 percent of those shipments, Digitimes Research said on Thursday. Claims are based on "supply chain information, Apple's annual sales and iPhones' ASPs [average sales prices] of the previous years," the firm explained.

The predictions are largely in line with pre-announcement estimates from the likes of analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo. The XR in particular has often been expected to be the bestselling iPhone this fall, owing to a more affordable price starting at $749. The product sports a single-lens camera and uses LCD instead of OLED.

The 5.8-inch iPhone XS costs at least $999, and the 6.5-inch XS Max begins at $1,099, making it more expensive than just about any of its rivals. A 512-gigabyte Max is $1,449 — higher than some Macs.

The iPhone X also launched at $999 and has sold better than some analysts anticipated, but people who bought one may be unlikely to upgrade quickly. And while the XR is in some ways positioned as a "mid-range" phone like the iPhone 8 was, its inclusion of Face ID and an edge-to-edge display may make it feel like less of a compromise.

Preorders for the XS line start on Friday ahead of a Sept. 21 launch.

16 Comments

badmonk 1332 comments · 11 Years

About 6 years ago

The new iPhones and AppleWatch are great but I am disappointed by the prices. Does anyone know how much the tariffs have contributed to the price increases? The dollar after all is strong. I anticipated Apple would include new USB-c chargers in the X models to make up for the estimated $100 price increase I see across the X models.

I love my iPhone X and I want other people to experience it and perceive a good value with the purchase.

WhiskeyAPPLEcider 18 comments · 6 Years

badmonk said:

The new iPhones and AppleWatch are great but I am disappointed by the prices. Does anyone know how much the tariffs have contributed to the price increases? The dollar after all is strong. I anticipated Apple would include new USB-c chargers in the X models to make up for the estimated $100 price increase I see across the X models.

I love my iPhone X and I want other people to experience it and perceive a good value with the purchase.

Apple is about making money FIRST, they clearly proved that when they didn’t even include a fast charger with the Max that starts at $1100. I thought they would include them with all the phones this time around but no. They are still nickel and diming is because they know we will still pay.
Sad but that’s how businesses work, make money for their shareholders and those high salaries for their execs.

seankill 566 comments · 15 Years

WhiskeyAPPLEcider said:

badmonk said:

The new iPhones and AppleWatch are great but I am disappointed by the prices. Does anyone know how much the tariffs have contributed to the price increases? The dollar after all is strong. I anticipated Apple would include new USB-c chargers in the X models to make up for the estimated $100 price increase I see across the X models.

I love my iPhone X and I want other people to experience it and perceive a good value with the purchase.

Apple is about making money FIRST, they clearly proved that when they didn’t even include a fast charger with the Max that starts at $1100. I thought they would include them with all the phones this time around but no. They are still nickel and diming is because they know we will still pay.
Sad but that’s how businesses work, make money for their shareholders and those high salaries for their execs.

Would be nice to see the market push back on the pricing but I suspect Apple still has some room left to run.

larryjw 1036 comments · 9 Years

Faster charger? How many people don't have 3-4 faster chargers lying around? Apple did the right thing in not including a fast charger -- waste of money, waste of resources.

In the last 3 years, I've haven't had to buy a new charger, never used the included charger, or even the included cable.

boltsfan17 2294 comments · 12 Years

badmonk said:

The new iPhones and AppleWatch are great but I am disappointed by the prices. Does anyone know how much the tariffs have contributed to the price increases? The dollar after all is strong. I anticipated Apple would include new USB-c chargers in the X models to make up for the estimated $100 price increase I see across the X models.

I love my iPhone X and I want other people to experience it and perceive a good value with the purchase.

What price increase? The iPhone XS is the same price as the X from last year.