Apple's iPhone 13 is continuing to sell well months after its launch and despite a downturn in the overall smartphone market -- and the iPhone 14 could still sell even better.
iPhone 14 Pro renders
Amid signs of a cooling global smartphone market, two sources in Apple's iPhone supply chain have told Reuters that the company's most recent handsets are still selling well in July -- months after their release.
One source said that July 2022 shipments for Apple's iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro lineup were a third higher than July 2021. That's unusual, given that iPhone sales typically slow down in the summer months prior to new models being released around September.
Analysts have also taken note of the unusual demand patterns in 2022. Back in April, JP Morgan's Samik Chatterjee told investors that the iPhone 13 was selling better than past generations -- a trend that could lead to what he calls a "structurally higher market share" for the company in 2022.
Apple itself is expecting its iPhone 14 to do better still. Reuters reported that Apple recently conveyed its higher-than-usual expectations to suppliers in initial forecasts as it carried out trial production of the company's next-generation smartphone.
Some analysts also appear to agree with Apple on this point. Well-connected TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in June that he expects the iPhone 14 to see much higher demand than the iPhone 13 in China, a critical market for Apple.
The iPhone 14 lineup is expected to bring new features to Apple's lineup, with the most dramatic updates reportedly being reserved for the iPhone 14 Pro. The high-end models are rumored to sport better cameras, always-on displays, and a new pill-and-holepunch cutout to replace the sensor notch.