may have heard the calls of small-screen flagship users. In October 2020, when and Apple ’s first 5G mobile phones arrived, they specially launched a mini version with only 5.4 inches. However, although the voice of the small screen party is high, not many people are willing to pay, so that the sales of iPhone 12 mini are dismal.
In 2021, Apple released iPhone 13 mini, but sales were still poor. After two consecutive generations of product failures, Apple gave up the mini version and replaced it with the large-size Plus version. The birth of iPhone 6 Plus and Pro Max relied on super large screens to gain consumer recognition, which can be called Apple's lucky star. Perhaps because of this consideration, Apple feels that large screens must be easier to sell.
Recently Nomura Securities analysts revealed that in order to solve the poor sales of the Plus version, Apple plans to make major adjustments to the iPhone 15 Plus to make it more like a transition model between iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Nomura Securities analysts have revealed some upgrade points planned by Apple. Let’s take a look at the reasons for the poor sales of the iPhone 14 Plus and see if these upgrades can satisfy you.
iPhone 15 Plus, an upgrade without changing the medicine?
First, we need to understand why the iPhone 14 Plus is not selling well. There are only three reasons for , namely, the price is too expensive, its own lack of competitiveness, and there are more suitable versions available. html The starting price of 16,999 yuan has caused many consumers to complain that Apple’s mobile phones are too expensive. People with limited budgets can choose the iPhone 14 or iPhone 13 series. For those who are more interested in experience, there is also the iPhone 14 Pro series.
In addition, the configuration of the iPhone 14 Plus lacks sincerity. The chip is still the previous generation A15. Compared with the standard version, only the size and battery life capacity have been upgraded, but the feel and weight are sacrificed. What's more, the heat dissipation upgrades stated by Apple are not obvious in actual performance, which is why the sales of iPhone 14 Plus are poor.
Source: Apple
Now let’s look at the upgrades of the iPhone 15 Plus. According to Nomura Securities analysts, there are three main upgrades to the iPhone 14 Plus. The first is to add the Smart Island function; the second is to upgrade the main camera to 48 million pixels; the third is to upgrade to the A16 Bionic processor.
Is sincerity enough? Obviously not enough. The first is the Smart Island function. Although iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are selling well, the reason is not Smart Island. Instead, many people complain about Smart Island. Smart Island can only be regarded as a change for the iPhone 14 Plus, not necessarily an upgrade. It depends on what consumers think.
has been using 12-megapixel sensors for many years. This year, Apple finally came up with a 48-megapixel main camera customized jointly with and Sony . Unfortunately, it is only available for iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. It will definitely be a good thing to decentralize it next year. However, the upgrade of the main camera will not have a big impact on the iPhone 14 Plus, because Apple’s main advantage is computational photography, and competing hardware is what Android manufacturers like.
Picture source: Apple
As for the processor, it seems to have been upgraded but it does not seem to have been upgraded. It can only be said that iPhone is a series of models using different chips. This is a huge blow to the standard and Plus versions. It also makes the Plus version of the new generation iPhone look less worthy of buying than the previous generation Pro version.
What needs more attention is that compared to the A15, the performance improvement of the A16 Bionic processor is not huge, and the key functions have not changed much. Moreover, these upgrade points are not only available on the iPhone 15 Plus, but also on the iPhone 15. In other words, the iPhone 15 Plus can still only be regarded as the large-screen version of the iPhone 15. If the price difference is too big, I believe most people will still not choose the iPhone 15 Plus.
We want a large screen and low price iPhone
When the iPhone 14 Plus was first revealed, the domestic digital forums were abuzz. The reason is that in previous years, only the top version of the iPhone could enjoy a large screen of 6.5 inches and above. We hope to get a low price but large screen iPhone.The iPhone 14 Plus only brings us disappointment. The price is ridiculously expensive, but the configuration is completely different from the Pro/Pro Max version.
The iPhone 15 Plus that consumers want should use the same A17 bionic processor as the high-end version, a 120Hz refresh rate screen, and a starting price of around 5,999 yuan. html has a 16.7-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, coupled with the battery life brought by the large battery, it is suitable for users who need to watch dramas and games. As for the camera, although we also want a telephoto lens , we can accept not having it.
Now it seems that Apple has not thought clearly about the positioning of the Plus version and does not know which consumers it is intended for. It just thinks that with a super large screen, it should increase the price to 6,999 yuan starting. Xiaolei believes that Apple’s view of the iPhone 14 Plus should be for users who do not have enough budget to buy an iPhone 14 ProMax but need a large-size mobile phone. However, after the Cook knife method, the experience gap with the iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max is too big, so that the price is much more expensive than the iPhone 14, and the experience is far worse than the iPhone 14 Pro.
Source: Apple
Of course, it is difficult for Apple to meet all our requirements for the iPhone 15 Plus. After all, as a mobile phone manufacturer, Apple needs to comprehensively consider the cost and price of mobile phones. Moreover, Apple has a great reputation, and it must also consider the premium capabilities of its products.
It’s just that for Apple, it is indeed necessary to consider improving the cost-effectiveness of its products, even just a little bit. Firstly, it is because of the rise of Android flagships. Although it is not as good as the iPhone for the time being, it is undeniable that the Xiaomi digital series, vivo X series, OPPO Find X series, Honor Magic series, and Samsung S series are very strong and have a high degree of discussion online, which may not pose a threat to iPhone sales.
More importantly, overall mobile phone sales continue to decline. Strategy Analytics data shows that domestic mobile phone sales fell 16% year-on-year in the third quarter of this year. Canalys data shows that global mobile phone sales fell 9% year-on-year in the third quarter. The market size continues to shrink, and competition among manufacturers will only become more intense. Apple must show more sincerity to ensure iPhone sales growth.
What will the real iPhone 15 Plus look like?
All the upgrade information we know so far is revealed by Nomura Securities, and may not be all accurate. In fact, DigiTimes and other media even broke the news that Apple may ax the Plus version of the model, but until the launch event in September next year, all the news on the Internet is just a leak.
Thinking about it carefully, there are three possibilities for the iPhone 15 Plus. One is a regular upgrade similar to this year. In line with Nomura Securities’ revelations, it is still a large-screen version of the iPhone 15.
The second type is significantly modified and upgraded to create a completely different version. However, this possibility is not high. Firstly, the redesign will cost a lot of money, but the product may not be recognized by consumers. Secondly, if the product is too good, it may affect the sales of the Pro version. It can only be said that Apple is also helpless.
The third option is that as DigiTimes broke the news, Apple will completely cut off the Plus version. This situation is very likely. According to reports from the supply chain and MacRumors in recent years, Apple is developing folding screen mobile phones, and there is also a new low-priced iPhone SE. There are more and more products, which are not in line with Apple's consistent characteristics. Cutting off some models will help to reorganize the product line.
However, judging from the poor sales of the mini version, which can still be launched for two generations, even if the Plus version is axed, it will most likely not be in 2023. It is estimated that Apple will try again. If it still cannot gain consumer approval, it will ax this version. However, judging from Apple’s innovation capabilities in recent years, you don’t have to have high expectations for the iPhone 15 Plus. It is most likely just a regular upgrade of the iPhone 14 Plus.
cover image source: Apple
