Roger Fingas
Apple is reportedly changing up its tactics to boost sales of the iPhone XS and iPhone XR, to boost sales of its flagship product for the holiday season.
Executives reassigned some marketing staff from other projects to the new iPhones in October, about a month after the iPhone XS shipped and in the days surrounding the launch of the iPhone XR, according to a Bloomberg source. The person described the move as a potential admission of sub-par sales.
Sources inside Apple not authorized to speak on behalf of the company told AppleInsider on Tuesday morning that the moves were in no way a "fire drill" as described by Bloomberg, and a "normal seasonal response to expected consumer trends."
In recent weeks Apple retail staff have been told to push the company's trade-in program more often, a second source said. In late November, the company increased the trade-in value of some older iPhones by $25 to $100, while some Japanese carriers made the iPhone XR less expensive via subsidies.
Apple stock took a beating in November, plummeting from a high of $209.95 to as low as $172.29 amid analyst paranoia about Apple no longer reporting unit sales, weak supplier figures and lowered analyst forecasts. It isn't clear how accurate the reports of unexpected cuts are, however, as not every Apple supplier is having the same financial trouble.
Marketing VP Greg Joswiak declined to comment about any cuts in a recent interview, but did offer up that sales of the iPhone XR have topped the XS and XS Max every day since it launched on Oct. 26. Analysts have commonly predicted that, given that the entry-level XR is $250 less than the XS while sharing features such as Face ID, an edge-to-edge display, and an A12 processor.
The iPhone XR starts at $749, $50 more than the iPhone 8 did in 2017, and an iPhone XS is at least $999, like last year's iPhone X. Prices for the iPhone XS Max range from $1,099 to as high as $1,449 for a 512-gigabyte model — more than a 13-inch MacBook Pro.
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Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider Staff
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
27 Comments
So this is the front page of Apple’s website right now. I can’t remember the last time they featured a price promotion at the very top of their front page.
Also, 9to5Mac noticed Apple changed the marketing copy from a one line marketing slogan to a list of specific features:
I don’t usually put much faith in supply chain rumors considering how often they’re wrong but something feels different this year that leads me to believe sales might not be what Apple execs were expecting. I mean if these devices were selling really well why would Apple be pushing trade-in deals (and even increasing the trade-in value by $100)? Why would they be OK with carriers like Sprint and TMobile offering the XR for free with signup? Those are not things you do for products that are selling well.
I personally have been holding back on buying the a new iPhone(s) direct from Apple (will not buy from VZ or T).
I don't like the supply chain rumors as they damage stock prices - my stock prices.
Shift orders to the factories that are found to be letting information out and as for the Analysts - don't invite them to "Any Thing Apple".
They have not been able to say much nice and they do not have FACTS to base their rumors; so, disinvite them to any thing electronic or financial.
How about it ?