Despite rumors that Apple might cancel the production of the iPhone X, it ended up as the best-selling smartphone during the holiday season.
This week, some reports speculated on the possibility that the X might reach the end of production soon. An Analyst form KGI Securities predicted that the company will no longer keep the flagship model in circulation once production ends this year.
However, the newly revealed data saw 29 million units sold during the fourth quarter of 2017, which is notable for a model that was available for barely two months.
Impressive Numbers For A Reason
Looking at the data closely, it is easy to note that other models like the iPhone 8 sold more units than X did. Yet, the number of iPhone X sales is remarkable due to the fact that the base model alone costs around $999. Interestingly, out the 29 million sold worldwide around seven million of those were reportedly sold in China.
Company Targets Missed
Although the holiday season sales data looked great, it reportedly failed to reach the targets set by Apple. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst for KGI Securities, projected that the iPhone X did not fare well in China, which is one of its biggest markets. He explained that Chinese consumers did not favor the smartphone's design with the notch and supposedly went for the iPhone 8 plus instead.
According to other sources, some users preferred familiar features like the Touch ID and the home button, which are no longer available on the X.
Expert Opinion
"The iPhone X performance is impressive for a device priced at $999, but is slightly below industry expectations," says Ben Stanton, an analyst working for Canalys. Apple struggled with supply issues in early November but achieved a massive uplift in production in late November and throughout December. This helped It meet and even exceed demand in some markets by the end of the quarter."
Even with his praises, the fact remains that Cupertino's decision to split the launch of their new models likewise had an impact on availability. It ultimately gave the competition a chance to step in and grab some of its potential sales.
Late In The Game
Another example of Apple being late in the game is with the HomePod smart speakers. Rivals Google and Amazon have already released its respective smart speakers, which obviously has a substantial head start.
Furthermore, the price of the Siri-controlled device is much higher than the competition. This could lead to another scenario just like with the iPhone X wherein its sales could compare to the former's holiday season sales numbers.
Nevertheless, being late in the game will presumably have repercussions against company targets.
