Apple’s iPhone 14 Plus won’t set any sales records, at least according to early reviews. In fact, the 14 Plus lags behind the iPhone 13 Mini when it comes to projected sales. It’s a shocking result for what was expected to be a commercial success for the tech giant.
“iPhone 14 and 14 Plus will be in stock on launch day, reflecting sluggish demand. So far, pre-order results for iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are worse than iPhone SE 3 and iPhone 14 Plus. ‘iPhone 13 mini (SE 3 and 13 mini were cut in 1H22),’ said analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, “iPhone 14 Plus replaces iPhone 13 mini. However, pre-order results for this new product were significantly below expectations, meaning that Apple’s product segmentation strategy for standard models this year has failed.
Although it seems inexplicable, the problem here seems to be simple. From a UK perspective, as well as more generally, Apple is pricing the iPhone 14 Plus far too high.
The iPhone 14 Plus is too expensive
Let’s talk about that price. In the UK, the iPhone 14 Plus will set you back £950. When I considered pre-ordering the phone, that amount seemed ridiculously high. It’s not that I don’t think the iPhone 14 Plus is worth a steep price – it’s that the sheer value of that price made me stop and think about the value of the purchase.
If I spend nearly £1,000 on an iPhone, I’ve already crossed the financial rubicon. It’s a similar situation in the United States. There’s only $100 separating the $899 iPhone 14 Plus and the $999 iPhone 14 Pro.
So what’s stopping me from expanding a bit further on the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max and getting the full range of new features – including a new processor, an always-on display and the much-vaunted Dynamic Island? According to Kuo’s figures — nothing. The iPhone 14 Pro Max has proven to be the most popular iPhone model, despite being the most expensive.
It should also be noted that there is a circular economy to consider for purchasing decisions. I’ve moved on to buying all my refurbished tech from places like BackMarket or MusicMagpie. Many of these sites offer discounts on other large-screen iPhones, including the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which brings the price down below £900. if I wanted the cheapest big-screen iPhone I could get, the 14 Plus wouldn’t be in the running. Who is the iPhone 14 Plus for, then?
As for the iPhone Mini series, despite its failure, it had a compelling answer to the question. “Those who want a small iPhone, this is your phone,” proudly states the slogan of the iPhone Mini. The iPhone 14 Plus doesn’t have such an obvious target audience.
Want to spend £1,000 on a big-screen iPhone? If the answer is yes, why not buy the iPhone 14 Pro Max? Granted, the same can be asked of the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, but you’re spending £850 to start. As for the 14 Plus, you already weigh just under 1,000 pounds. At that point, one would be forgiven for saying for a penny, for a pound.
A deliberately compromised experience?
Most certainly, the iPhone 14 Plus makes a lot of sense as a device. Many people use their phone as their only computing device, and a bigger phone is a bigger canvas for reading books, watching movies, typing notes, texting friends, and more. At the same time, the iPhone 14 Plus offers a deliberate series of compromises to lower the asking price, which makes it worth pausing once considering the absolute value of the iPhone.
Granted, you don’t need a 120Hz screen, but you can get one for 250 pounds more. Of course you don’t need that new A16 processor, for 25 pounds it’s there. Maybe that always-on display isn’t the best either, but the option exists just out of reach for an extra 250 pounds. You get the picture.
Yes, the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro have the same problem, but the compromises you swallow at less than 900 and those you swallow at less than 1000 are psychologically different. And, again, it’s a similar deal in the United States. Why not give Apple an extra $100 for a better display, better cameras, and a new chipset?
At the same time, it’s worth noting that the iPhone pre-order audience is the exact same audience that would make those sorts of calculations. You don’t pay $1,000 on sight. So, it stands to reason that the iPhone 14 Plus could do better after its release to a general audience that just doesn’t care about all those things and just wants the cheapest, biggest, and most popular iPhone. newest he can buy. Apple could well bet on that.
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