iPhone 12 sees strong start with twice as many preorders as iPhone 11

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iPhone 12 Pro in Pacific blue
Up to 2 million preorders during the first 24 hours alone.
Photo: Apple

iPhone 12 has seen twice as many preorders as last year’s iPhone 11, while iPhone 12 Pro is proving more popular than iPhone 11 Pro, according to new estimates from reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple’s newest smartphone lineup — the first with 5G connectivity — is thought to have attracted between 1.7 million and 2 million orders during the first 24 hours of availability.

Apple watchers expected Cupertino’s first 5G devices to spark another upgrade “super-cycle” as millions rush to take advantage of significantly faster data speeds (in theory). And iPhone 12 isn’t disappointing.

Although it has been only a few days since iPhone 12 and 12 Pro were first made available to preorder, demand during the first 24 hours suggests that Apple is onto another winner.

iPhone 12 off to a great start

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that up to 2 million iPhone 12 units were preordered on day one. He also believes that orders for iPhone 12 Pro have been much higher than anticipated.

That’s a lot less than the 4 million preorders placed for iPhone 6 — Apple’s most successful smartphone to date — on day one. But a lot more than the 500,000-800,000 preorders for iPhone 11.

What’s more, only half of the iPhone 12 lineup is on sale right now. iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max are not available until November 6.

A fair split

Kuo indicates that demand seems to be split equally between iPhone 12 and 12 Pro so far. It was believed that the more affordable iPhone 12 would be significantly more popular.

Long-term, Kuo predicts iPhone 12 and 12 Pro will see around 30-35% of total orders. iPhone 12 mini could attract 10-15%, with the larger, more expensive iPhone 12 Pro Max accounting for around 15-20%.

It is thought iPhone 12 mini will be least popular due to its lack of dual-SIM support. And because of its smaller screen, which could make it a hard sell in key markets like China.

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