More consumers are looking at upgrading to older iPhone models, report claims
Consumers simply aren’t ready to open their wallets for the new iPhone models compared to last year, a new report has claimed. Has Apple lost its magic touch?
Piper Jaffray, a US investment bank, claims that consumer demand for the newest iPhone is significantly lower than in previous years.
Related: Best smartphones
Whereas last year, 69% of respondents said they were interested in buying the latest iPhone, this year only 51% reported an interest in buying an iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro.
By contrast, the demand for older models has apparently increased: 49% will look to buy a cut-price, up from 31% at the same point last year.
These results, reported by Nikkei Asian Review, will be unwelcome news at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. Having lowered the base price of the iPhone 11 in comparison to last year’s bestselling iPhone XR, the brand could reasonably expect to have piqued the interest of consumers otherwise put off by increasingly weighty price tags.
Related: Best iPhones
But perhaps the allure of an extra ultra wide angle lens was not enough to woo users into making an upgrade.
Next year’s anticipated upgrade to 5G connectivity could be another reason for diminished demand, and a potentially more optimistic reason for the downturn in interest is that customers are simply satisfied with their current phones and see no need to upgrade, especially given Apple’s long-term software support.
However, neither of these reasons explain why more people than ever would prefer an older model to the new range.
Related: Best mid-range smartphones
But if the price of iPhones is becoming off-putting, it’s always worth considering a pick from the selection of impressive mid-range phones. Though most of these devices run the Android operating system rather than iOS, you can often get incredible value for money at this more modest price point.
Our top picks include the Xiaomi Mi 9, the OnePlus 7, the Honor View 20, and the Google Pixel 3a.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
