iPhone 15 struggles in sales but older models pick up the slack

Personally I think this is pretty easily explained by Apple’s announcements on the forthcoming AI features, which require at least a 15 Pro or Pro Max to use (on top of the usual “second half of the cycle” drop in sales). Since the forthcoming AI improvements look pretty compelling, this effectively kills the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, and earlier models dead in the water, marketing wise.

Another installment of Apple Insider's ongoing series, "Speculation Published As Fact." 

Let's just start with the first phrase: "The latest iPhone models are falling short of expectations..." Really? Whose expectations? And do those "expectations" have any basis in what Apple, itself, has said? Or are they based on the fabled "market consensus?" Because I'd like you to source the meeting in which "the market" agreed to that "consensus" number. Or perhaps they're based on the equally fabled "analysts say." Which analysts? What is their track record of their prior forecasts and predictions? If you follow TipRanks, which actually keeps track of what hundreds of individual analysts say and publishes a rating on their accuracy, you quickly realize that a coin flip would "predict" better than the vast majority of analysts. I could spend paragraphs similarly questioning other statements presented as fact throughout the article, but you get the idea. 

I'm not saying that what CIRP is claiming is necessarily untrue. At best, however, it is informed but unsourced speculation and publishing it as if it were "established fact" is just bad journalism. 

chasm said:

Personally I think this is pretty easily explained by Apple’s announcements on the forthcoming AI features, which require at least a 15 Pro or Pro Max to use (on top of the usual “second half of the cycle” drop in sales). Since the forthcoming AI improvements look pretty compelling, this effectively kills the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, and earlier models dead in the water, marketing wise.

I was looking to pick up a refurb 15 Pro earlier this year, but have decided to wait until the 16 lineup is out to make a decision on what to get. Every model of iPhone 16 is likely to support Apple Intelligence, so I would think a LOT of people who were thinking about buying an iPhone soon-ish will now put that purchase off for the same reason I’m doing so.

This year, things are different than the usual minor improvements from one model to the next. Apple has drawn a line in the sand with its AI moves, marking any regular iPhone from last year or earlier as … well not obsolete, but certainly less desirable … and any Macs or iPads that don’t have a certain level of Apple Silicon in them are now second-class machines.

(For the record, many Intel Macs, recent iPhone and pre-M-series iPads will still get this year’s iOS/iPadOS/macOS upgrades … just not the clearly-marked “killer features.”)

You are entitled to your opinion.  I disagree.   I do hope this much hyped Applie intelligence is completely optional and can easily be shut off.   It reminds me of how tired I am with all the spellcheck and changes to words I type in some applications.  For example, my company uses Slack for chat.  I am an excellent typist and I am amazed at how my words get changed without me doing anything.  I go back and look at messages and I say wow,  I did not type that.  

M68000 said:

chasm said:

Personally I think this is pretty easily explained by Apple’s announcements on the forthcoming AI features, which require at least a 15 Pro or Pro Max to use (on top of the usual “second half of the cycle” drop in sales). Since the forthcoming AI improvements look pretty compelling, this effectively kills the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, and earlier models dead in the water, marketing wise.

I was looking to pick up a refurb 15 Pro earlier this year, but have decided to wait until the 16 lineup is out to make a decision on what to get. Every model of iPhone 16 is likely to support Apple Intelligence, so I would think a LOT of people who were thinking about buying an iPhone soon-ish will now put that purchase off for the same reason I’m doing so.

This year, things are different than the usual minor improvements from one model to the next. Apple has drawn a line in the sand with its AI moves, marking any regular iPhone from last year or earlier as … well not obsolete, but certainly less desirable … and any Macs or iPads that don’t have a certain level of Apple Silicon in them are now second-class machines.

(For the record, many Intel Macs, recent iPhone and pre-M-series iPads will still get this year’s iOS/iPadOS/macOS upgrades … just not the clearly-marked “killer features.”)

You are entitled to your opinion.  I disagree.   I do hope this much hyped Applie intelligence is completely optional and can easily be shut off.   It reminds me of how tired I am with all the spellcheck and changes to words I type in some applications.  For example, my company uses Slack for chat.  I am an excellent typist and I am amazed at how my words get changed without me doing anything.  I go back and look at messages and I say wow,  I did not type that.  

In a couple of Years, we will not be typing or saying, we will all be just thinking and wallah, ready to send ;-))

chasm said:

Personally I think this is pretty easily explained by Apple’s announcements on the forthcoming AI features, which require at least a 15 Pro or Pro Max to use (on top of the usual “second half of the cycle” drop in sales). Since the forthcoming AI improvements look pretty compelling, this effectively kills the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, and earlier models dead in the water, marketing wise.

I was looking to pick up a refurb 15 Pro earlier this year, but have decided to wait until the 16 lineup is out to make a decision on what to get. Every model of iPhone 16 is likely to support Apple Intelligence, so I would think a LOT of people who were thinking about buying an iPhone soon-ish will now put that purchase off for the same reason I’m doing so.

This year, things are different than the usual minor improvements from one model to the next. Apple has drawn a line in the sand with its AI moves, marking any regular iPhone from last year or earlier as … well not obsolete, but certainly less desirable … and any Macs or iPads that don’t have a certain level of Apple Silicon in them are now second-class machines.

(For the record, many Intel Macs, recent iPhone and pre-M-series iPads will still get this year’s iOS/iPadOS/macOS upgrades … just not the clearly-marked “killer features.”)

Agree. Plus you had iPad leapfrogging to M4, so if you don't absolutely need to buy a Mac or upgrade one right now, might as well wait for the shift to M4 in the Mac.