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Apple's falling iPhone demand isn't as bad as it sounds

 1 year ago
source link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/apples-falling-i-phone-demand-isnt-as-bad-as-it-sounds-212120476.html
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What Apple’s production pullback says about iPhone 14 demand
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Apple's falling iPhone demand isn't as bad as it sounds

Alexandra Garfinkle
·Senior Reporter
Thu, September 29, 2022, 6:21 AM·3 min read

Apple (AAPL) is pulling away from iPhone 14 production, retreating from plans to increase manufacturing by 6 million units, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Apple hasn’t confirmed the report, but if true, this would put Apple’s iPhone production in line with last year, at about 90 million units. Still, a potential pullback is major news. The iPhone is Apple’s hero product, and its sales accounted for 52% of Apple’s 2021 revenue, so the stakes are high.

However, the pullback likely isn’t as bad as it sounds. For one thing, Apple’s been on a mission to push up its average selling prices to bolster its bottom line, as reported by Yahoo Finance’s Dan Howley. The company’s been beefing up its higher-priced offerings to make them more appealing, and facilitate adoption among consumers.

Moreover, this retreat in iPhone demand might just stem from the difficult macroeconomic environment and the corresponding slump in consumer spending. We’re also seeing decreased demand for PCs and, beyond tech, even Walmart and Macy’s are preparing for a muted Christmas by slashing holiday hiring.

“I’m not surprised — we’re seeing lower demand for smart TVs, too,” Needham & Co. analyst Laura Martin said, in response to the news of the pullback.

The market might have been caught off-guard, though; Apple shares fell roughly 4% after the Bloomberg report on Wednesday. As stark as the market’s reaction was, softened iPhone demand has been in the cards for a while. On Monday, Jefferies analyst Edison Lee wrote that “overall demand remains weak and iPhone 14 sales do not seem as strong as expected.”

Signage is seen at the Apple Fifth Avenue store for the release of the Apple iPhone 14 range in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 16, 2022.  REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
Signage is seen at the Apple Fifth Avenue store for the release of the Apple iPhone 14 range in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 16, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Still, the timing isn’t great. This cycle is important for Apple, as it's gearing up for the holiday season, a historically fruitful quarter for the company and across retail.

Apple shares were still down a little over 1% after close on Wednesday. The company’s also been hit by the tech rout — though not as hard as some of its counterparts — and is down about 17.6% year-to-date.


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