Apple may have significantly underestimated the popularity of iPhone 6 Plus

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Buy one, get one free on the Apple iPhone 6s/6s Plus for AT&T.
Everybody wants an iPhone 6 Plus. Who would have guessed? Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

Cupertino is once again shifting supply ratios of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus due to higher-than-expected demand for the larger handset, according to a new report.

The source of the increased demand this time? China, where the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus recently went on sale following a massive 20 million reported preorders.

Customers in China can now buy the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 directly from telecom operators, retail channels and websites, but still must wait should they want the larger iPhone 6 Plus (as is the case in many other countries in the world).

Citing supply chain sources, a Digitimes report says Apple might be forced to shift more production capacity to iPhone 6 Plus, with a 55:45 ratio of iPhone 6 to iPhone 6 Plus, from the 65:35 split planned originally.

While Tim Cook said during yesterday’s Apple earning call that “it’s very difficult to gauge demand without first finding the balance,” you’ve got to think the company should have realized a larger-screen “phablet” iPhone was going to be met with high demand.

Still, lesson learned.

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