In 2018, Apple released its most costly smartphones in the United States, with the iPhone XS starting at $999 and the iPhone XS Max topping out at $1,449.

These two high-end phones follow 2017’s iPhone X, which launched a reimagined smartphone with a new edge-to-edge screen (without the camera “notch”), face recognition, and gesture interaction system. The updated lineup for 2018 has an enhanced CPU, a more powerful camera, and a full screen. 

How Successful Has Apple’s Latest Launch Been After One Week of Sales? 

According to new statistics from mobile analytics provider Flurry, Apple’s iPhone XS and XS Max debuts were about 50% more successful than the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus introductions. Furthermore, the new models generated 7% more income than the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X combined in 2017. 

During their first week, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max grabbed 0.42% and 0.68% of the market, for a total of 1.1%. Let’s compare its launch to 2017’s iPhone 8 and 8 Plus to see if it’s successful. 

On September 22, 2017, Apple announced the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus smartphones captured 0.76% of Apple products’ market share during their first week of sales. In contrast, the XS and XS Max gained 45% more shares, which significantly improved. 

What Was Learned About the First Hours of the iPhone Xs and Xs Max Sales? 

Apple and carrier outlets around the country opened their doors in 2018 to welcome customers to the debut of the new iPhone XS and XS Max. Here’s what was discovered about the first few hours of sales: 

1. The Era of Massive Queues and Major Product Launches Has Ended. 

People are still flocking to be the first to receive a new item, but it is much quieter than in previous years. Only a few Apple fans prefer camping out in front of metro Apple stores rather than pre-ordering online. Because of the simplicity of online sales, lines are no longer the best predictor of sales success.

2. The inaugural device sales push was won by the iPhone XS Max 2-to-1. 

Many users have upgraded their phones through Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program. These clients generally possess the iPhone X and want the latest and greatest smartphone.

3. Carrier stores were open, but client demand was low. 

This is most likely since most consumers who wanted to upgrade were on the iPhone Upgrade Program and had to go to an Apple shop rather than their carrier. While carriers provide attractive incentives, many consumers are not yet qualified for upgrades. Aside from that, clients will not have to stand in line at 8:00 a.m. to receive the new upgrade. Sales in this channel will occur gradually when subscribers have time or are in a handy region of their carrier shop.

4. Pre-Orders 

The XS Max received much higher pre-orders than the XS at carrier COR (corporate-owned retail) outlets.

5. Customers in the non-upgrade program were upgrading from earlier smartphones (iPhone 6s, 7, 7 Plus).

These customers mostly opted for the less expensive and smaller form factor iPhone XS since it was more compatible with what they previously used and anticipated the update.

6. For most users, 256 GB is the sweet spot.

It offers the best value regarding memory requirements and pricing for clients. The 512GB pricing range was frequently seen as unreasonable and prohibitively pricey. There were just a few 512GB handsets available in stores. Many purchasers observed that while 128GB was a large volume winner, early purchases favored 256GB over 64GB by a substantial margin.

7. National merchants reported little pent-up demand.

Unlike Apple shops and carrier channels, BestBuy and Target did not open early. However, retailer checks revealed that Apple launches are beneficial in terms of traffic and accessory sales.

Price Sensitivity 

When comparing this to the previous year’s debuts, we must consider price sensitivity. In summary, Apple released its lower-cost iPhone XR after iPhone XS and XS Max). In 2017, Apple flipped the schedule, releasing the less costly iPhone 8 and 8 Plus first, followed by the more expensive, redesigned iPhone X later in the season. Price sensitivity influences purchasing decisions. If you want the latest and greatest smartphone and don’t care about price, you probably waited until its release to purchase the more costly iPhone X.

There Are So Many Apples on the Tree

Another aspect is Apple’s growing rivalry with itself. The XS and XS Max enter the market with a backlog of Apple devices: 15, considering just iPhone 4 models or later. While Apple aggressively discontinues new sales of devices and lowers the pricing of previous models that are still supported, some people prefer to keep older device models rather than upgrade. When Apple releases a new model, it must not only compete with more of its own (and other manufacturers’) gadgets but also discover methods to drastically enhance the newest model to force users to upgrade their current devices.

In other words, when a consumer considers purchasing a new item, it is not only about the price they are prepared to pay but also about what they are getting for it. Consumers may be more likely to pay thousands of dollars again if the new iPhone offers more significant improvement than the previous one. However, tremendous advances in hardware are becoming more challenging each year. Consumers may assume that the item they presently own is enough and choose not to upgrade.

Conclusion

Apple’s latest models are pushing unit sales. However, the increased price for more complex versions generates revenue in the iPhone XS and XS Max cases. Although the starting price of the iPhone XS and XS Max was pricey, you can now buy them at a lower price. But a used iPhone XS is available even at a much lower price.