How Consumers Are Reacting To Apple's iPhone 12 Lineup

Apple Inc AAPL kicked off an iPhone super cycle with the launch of its 5G-enabled iPhone 12 models.

With the tech giant commercially launching four variants of the iPhone 12 iteration in two stages, the reception among customers has been largely positive.

The iPhone 12 Models: The basic version of iPhone 12 is priced at $799 compared to the $999 price point of the iPhone 12 Pro. The two differ largely in terms of their camera system and storage.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max  is priced at $1,099, and has about 20% larger screen size and a better camera system than the iPhone 12 Pro. The iPhone Mini is the cheapest of all and comes at a price point of $699. It has a 20% smaller screen size than the iPhone 12.

The company launched its iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Oct. 16, with deliveries beginning in late October.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Mini were available for pre-orders beginning Nov. 6, and shipments of these models began Nov. 12.

Here's a look at how each of the four models are faring in terms of uptake and customer perception.

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iPhone Pro ‘Star of the Show:' The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 pre-orders were at a combined 7 million to 9 million over the launch weekend, Apple Insider reported, citing TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

This compares to the 10 million to 12 million units sold for the entire iPhone 11 series during the launch weekend in 2019, the report said.

Apple's core user base prefers high-end models, and strong demand in China, the U.S. and Europe has lifted the numbers, and especially those of the iPhone Pro, Kuo reportedly said. 

There is a clear uptick in demand for the iPhone 12 Pro version, as this 6.1-inch model has become the "star of the show" so far, given carrier trade-ins/promotions, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said in a note.

As against the typical norm of the cheapest iPhone variant doing well, the demand for the iPhone Pro has been strong, the Digitimes reported.

The demand has been so strong that the lead time from manufacturers had to be extended, the report said.

Apple was also reportedly looking to increase orders for VSCEL chips that support the iPhone 12's lidar scanner for immersive augmented reality.

Premium Pro Max A Fast Mover: Going by strong demand for the iPhone Pro Max model, Apple could be in for strong ASPs heading into 2021, Ives said.

Small May Not Be Always Beautiful: The iPhone Mini has not cut much ice with customers, reports say.

The iPhone Mini uptake is likely to be slow, and would represent only about 10%-15% of the total iPhone 12 sales in the fourth quarter, Kuo said.

This compares to roughly 30%-35% potential share for each of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.

The analyst blamed the softness in Mini uptake to the weak demand for smaller phones in China.

At last check, Apple shares were slipping 0.91% to $117.56.

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Courtesy photo.