Very Strange WSJ Story on iPhone Sales

Tripp Mickle, in a story headlined “Apple’s New iPhones Get a Lukewarm Reception From Buyers”:

But estimates from two market-research firms indicate customers are buying the X and a pair of other new offerings at about the same rate as they did with new models in the past two years — which fell short of the iPhone’s 2015 peak.

The iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus combined for 69% of U.S. iPhone sales for the month ended Dec. 3., with the remainder going to older models, according to a survey of 300 iPhone buyers by technology-analysis firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

By comparison, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus accounted for 73% of all iPhones sold in their first month in 2016, and the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus accounted for 71% in their first month in 2015, the firm’s prior surveys show. Sales of those devices proved to be lackluster. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus — which were big hits — accounted for 91% of iPhone sales in their first month in 2014.

They’re not comparing how many of the new iPhones were sold each year, but instead what percentage of all iPhones sold were the new models. I suppose that’s interesting, but it certainly doesn’t justify the headline or basic premise of the article, which implies that iPhone X and 8 sales are weak.

Keep in mind that Apple’s guidance for the current holiday quarter was for $7 billion more in revenue than their previous best quarter ever.

★ Tuesday, 26 December 2017