Apple, earlier this month, launched their latest iPhone 16 series. The lineup included a total of four iPhones: the basic iPhone 16, a bigger iPhone 16 Plus model, the standard iPhone 16 Pro, and its bigger version, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is also the most expensive of the bunch.
That said, Apple launches a new version of their iPhones every year, and it can often be chalked up to being an incremental update. For example, the cameras are a little bit better, or the battery life is just a slight bit better, or things like making the notch smaller. Right! Everyone knows that, but people still get excited for it.
This time around, however, Apple promised a lot more, and they really tried to go out of their usual ways to make actual physical changes to the iPhones. Things like the new customization features in iOS 18, the promises with Apple Intelligence, and how good it will be. The fact that it is coming to the non-Pro iPhones as well, thanks to the new A18 chip. It all seemed great. But, as it turns out, not everyone is happy with the new iPhone launch.
While the non-Pro iPhones are getting praise for not lagging too far behind the more expensive iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max models. With things like the action button now available on all models. Including the non-Pro ones, and the brand new camera control button that Apple just refuses to call a button, a feature or change that we are seeing for the first time. That too is available on the standard iPhone and the iPhone 16 Plus.
The iPhone 16 Pro series, however, is not getting the same love, with some people actually disappointed in the Pro versions and saying they are not getting much of an upgrade. And it is showing in the pre-orders. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst, the Pro versions of the iPhone series are losing popularity, and people just don’t seem into them as much as they used to.
Ming shared an analysis of the popularity of the new iPhone 16 series, based on the first week pre-order data of the iPhone 16 lineup and data from Apple’s website. According to the analysis shared by Ming-Chi Kuo, the demand for the standard iPhone Pro model is down 27 percent compared to last year, which is a lot. The bigger iPhone 16 Pro Max also suffered a 15 percent decrease in demand.
While the Pro and Pro Max models are seemingly hitting a slump, the demand for the standard non-Pro models is increasing, with the basic iPhone 16 demand going up by 10 percent and the bigger iPhone 16 Plus seeing an increase of a whopping 48 percent.
It’s the sign of the times, and there are a few reasons for this. One being that the difference in performance between the Pro and the non-Pro models is just not that big now. With all of them being built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence, they are all pretty capable and fast phones. Another factor used to be the screen size, and in the past, if someone wanted a bigger screen and still an iPhone, their only option was the Pro Max variant.
It’s not the case this time. If someone wants a bigger screen, they can get the iPhone 16 Plus, which offers the same 6.7-inch screen as the older Pro Max models. With the notch now gone and standard iPhones too having a dynamic island and previously exclusive features like the action button and even brand new features like the camera control button now also being available on the non-Pro iPhones, it just seems desirable to go with the iPhone 16 or the iPhone 16 Plus instead and save some cash while doing it.
The iPhone Pro and Pro Max still have some differentiating features. Things like a slightly better processor, a high-refresh-rate ProMotion screen, 4k 120fps video recording, and the new studio microphones. But for most people, and one of the most popular tech persons on the planet Earth, Linus from Linus Tech Tips, says he just doesn’t need them. And if he has to switch to an iPhone, he would choose the iPhone 16 Plus over the 16 Pro Max. And it’s true for most people.
That sums up this article and tells us why the demand for the iPhone 16 Plus is increasing as it is. Do check out our YouTube channel at @techincheckofficial if you like listening to the news more, and I’ll see you around.