Apple reportedly cut iPhone 12 mini production so it can meet stronger demand for the pricier iPhone 12 Pro.
Cupertino’s smallest handset apparently accounted for just 6% of all sales during the iPhone 12 series’ launch period last fall. And it suffered from lackluster demand ever since.
Estimates suggest the iPhone 12 lineup overall became a huge success for Apple — the most popular since iPhone 6 — thanks to its brand-new design, improved cameras, 5G networking and an even faster A13 chip.
But it seems Apple’s seemingly experimental iPhone 12 mini, aimed at those who prefer more compact smartphones, did not pay off. Analysts at Morgan Stanley say Apple cut production of the smallest iPhone 12 model.
Apple shifts iPhone 12 mini production to iPhone 12 Pro
Meanwhile, Apple reportedly increased iPhone 12 Pro production by 2 million units by cutting iPhone 12 mini production by the same figure. Lead times for the more expensive model now sit at around 10 days.
Prior to this shift around two weeks ago, lead times for iPhone 12 Pro hit 22 days. They remain “extended far beyond any model launched in the past 4 years,” reads the note, obtained by Philip Elmer-DeWitt.
Morgan Stanley predicts the iPhone 12 lineup will continue to outperform expectations in the December quarter. Apple’s first earnings call since iPhone 12 introduction happens on January 27.
iPhone 12 popular in China
The Morgan Stanley note also reveals iPhone 12 — the more affordable non-Pro model — performed better in China than in the United States. It helped Apple capture a 20.3% share of the smartphone market.
That’s a new 18-month high, with iPhone 12 helping to secure a larger install base than any iPhone launched in China over the last four years.
