Whether or not the 5G revolution is here remains to be seen, but Apple fans are buying in.
The newly unveiled iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro received twice as many preorders in its first day on sale than last year’s iPhones did, according to an influential tech analyst.
With 1.7 million to 2 million customers putting a new iPhone in their shopping cart last Friday, Apple’s newest handset far outpaced the 500,000 to 800,000 units the iPhone 11 family moved in its first 24 hours, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The new devices are Apple’s first with 5G technology, which allows them to access super-fast wireless speeds that are as much as 10 or 20 times faster than current 4G networks.
Questions remain, however, about whether Chief Executive Tim Cook will be able to deliver on their 5G promises. Carriers are still scrambling to roll out their next-generation networks and service is expected to remain spotty in some areas.
Kuo had initially anticipated the mid-range iPhone 12 to make up a greater percentage of the iPhone market than the more expensive Pro, but pre-order numbers saw the two models go neck and neck.
“The iPhone 12 Pro pre-order beat our expectation because of Apple core fans’ initial preference for high-end models, the strong demand in the Chinese market, and the coming peak season demand in the US and Europe,” Kuo said, according to Apple blog MacRumors.
Kuo said that he expects the standard-sized iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, which start at $799 and $999, respectively, will be the most popular iPhone model this year, with each taking 30 to 35 percent of the market.
The $699 iPhone 12 mini will be the model of choice for 10 to 15 percent of iPhone owners, while the most expensive 12 Pro max, which starts at $1,099, will make up 15 to 20 percent of new iPhone sales.
Both the 12 mini and 12 Pro max will be available for pre-order on Nov. 6.
