What you need to know
- Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects iPhone 12 mini demand to be low in China.
- He also notes that pre-order demand for iPhone 12 Pro has been higher than expected.
- He expects iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro shipments to be the largest.
Apple's iPhone 12 mini faces a tough task to make a dent in the Chinese market according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a new research note, seen by iMore, Kuo says that the new, mini iPhone has two main characteristics that make it less appealing to Chinese buyers.
The analyst says that the small screen used in iPhone 12 mini will turn buyers in China off, with the market generally preferring devices that are on the larger side. While many people in the United States and Europe like a more pocketable device, that isn't the case in China.
Kuo also goes on to say that iPhone 12 mini's lack of physical dual-SIM support will impact how Chinese buyers see the device. That's a feature that many in China use regularly and extensively.
Elsewhere in the note, Kuo notes that he expects iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro shipments to be almost double the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro numbers from last year. As for this year, Kuo believes a shipment breakdown during the final quarter of 2020 will look something like this:
- iPhone 12 mini: 10-15%
- iPhone 12: 30-35%
- iPhone 12 Pro: 30-35%
- iPhone 12 Pro Max: 15-20%
Apple has iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro available for pre-order now, with devices going on sale this coming Friday, October 23. Pre-orders of iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available from November 6 and devices will go on sale the following week.
