iPhone 13 supply meeting demand, customers opting for higher-end models

iPhone 13 Pro models

Estimated iPhone 13 delivery times are increasingly pointed toward the lineup hitting supply demand balance, according to investment bank JP Morgan.

In a note to investors seen by AppleInsider, JP Morgan lead analyst Samik Chatterjee analyzed iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro lead times in the fifteenth week of availability.

Across all regions, delivery times for the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max remained stable at an average of 3, 3, 5, and 3 days, respectively. That's about the same as 2, 2, 5, and 5 days the week prior.

In the U.S., which accounts for 35% of iPhone shipments, delivery times for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max moderated to 1 to 2 days. Lead times for the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 went to zero days.

In the critical region of China, responsible for about 15% of iPhone shipments, lead times tracked at 0, 0, 5, and 1 day in week 15. Consumers in the U.K. and Germany saw lead times for all models decrease to six days, with one-day in-store pickup available in both countries.

The fact that lead times for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max remain elevated when compared to their mid-range counterparts bodes well for Apple's average selling price (ASP), given the skew toward the higher-end models.

According to Chatterjee, the supply and demand reaching equilibrium, as well as a good mix of higher-end devices, shows encouraging signs for the December quarter. He added that Apple will likely reach optimal inventory level, which could accrue benefits in the March 2022 quarter.

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4 Comments

lkrupp

said about 2 years ago

On tech blogs like this one we are always swarmed by demands for a smaller, cheaper iPhone, like the SE for example. But then we find out people are buying the more expensive models instead of the smaller, cheaper ones. More indication of tech blog posters being the outliers, not the real market.

retrogusto

said about 2 years ago

lkrupp said:

On tech blogs like this one we are always swarmed by demands for a smaller, cheaper iPhone, like the SE for example. But then we find out people are buying the more expensive models instead of the smaller, cheaper ones. More indication of tech blog posters being the outliers, not the real market.

In recent years, Apple has conflated smaller with cheaper, but what I have felt (and seen from others on the discussion boards) is an interest for smaller but not necessarily cheaper. I would love to see a more compact high-end phone, and I’d be willing to pay top dollar for it. Ever since the iPhone 6, released in 2014, Apple’s flagship models have consistently gotten progressively larger, thicker and heavier. Even the current “Mini” is bigger in some ways than older premium models.

This forces a compromise on behalf of the buyer, between getting a compact phone or a phone with the best technology, and it can be a tough choice. To me, good cameras are a very valuable feature, but so is portability (light weight and compactness) and the ability to operate it with one hand. The difference in price isn’t a big consideration for me, nor do I need a giant screen on something that I’ll only use when out and about—an iPad, a laptop with an external monitor, a home projector and CarPlay solve most of my needs for a larger screen.

I suspect a lot of people are in the same boat, but in the end decide it’s worth opting for the bigger heavier model rather than compromising on camera quality and other benefits. What I want is the smallest phone with the best standard and telephoto cameras and good radio tech (5G, WiFi). I probably don’t need the absolute fastest processor, nor do I need a giant screen, an ultrawide camera or wireless charging.

I’m still enjoying my Xs, but it’s about as big and heavy as I feel willing to go at this point, and if they come out with something closer to my ideal phone, I’ll happily upgrade. As it stands, any new model would arguably be a downgrade for me, because it would either be slightly bigger and heavier or I would lose my telephoto camera.

M68000

said about 2 years ago

iPhone Air - that might be a better name for the 13 mini. I’m not following the crowd, I’m “thinking different” and just got the 13 mini in starlight. Classy color in my opinion. I think Jobs may have said or believed that a cellphone should be able to be used easily with one hand. Besides the size, the second thing you notice using it is how little it weighs. Coming from a phone near 200 grams without case, it really is astonishing the difference. I’ve seen a ton of YouTube videos on how great the 13 mini is, used that as reference but made my own decision to go smaller. Ironically the guy at my phone store downsized from the iPhone max size to the 6.1, saying the max is too big. It just shows that choice is good for the consumer.

danielnanboe

said about 2 years ago

The situation is not that nice in europe I am waiting for the preordered iphone 13 pro 512gb since October 2021 and for my macbook pro 16 32 mb m1 max since November. None of the apple premium resellers from Romania received any of the models above. So I imagine my 5000 euro are not as important for Apple, as the ones of the other EU or US buyers.

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