iPhone 15's Adoption Rate Declines as US Consumers Opt for Older Models

New data suggests a potential shift in consumer behavior regarding iPhone upgrades. A recent report by CIRP (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners) indicates a decline in the adoption rate of the iPhone 15 lineup compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 14.

Weakening Demand for iPhone 15

The trend began in Q1 2024, with iPhone 15 devices capturing only 68% of total US iPhone sales. This figure falls short of the 75% share achieved by the iPhone 14 lineup in Q1 2023. To add, this represents a 7% decrease in adoption rate year-over-year.

In the same quarter, the iPhone 15 was hailed as the best-selling smartphone in the world. It even managed to beat Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the best Android handset at that time.

The disparity widened further in Q2 2024. Sales of the iPhone 15 series constituted just 67% of total US iPhone sales, reflecting a 1% decline from Q1 2024. Conversely, the iPhone 14 lineup enjoyed a 4% increase in Q2 2023 compared to Q1 2023, reaching 79% of US iPhone sales.

iPhone 14/Plus Models See Resurgence

The data reveals a significant 12% lower adoption rate for iPhone 15 models compared to their iPhone 14 counterparts in their respective launch years, per 9to5Mac.

Interestingly, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was the sole exception, mirroring the 22% adoption rate achieved by the iPhone 14 Pro Max in the previous year.

CIRP suggests that the decline in iPhone 15 sales may be offset by increased interest in the year-old iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models. This trend could be attributed to consumers perceiving the hardware upgrades between generations as less revolutionary.

Shifting Consumer Preferences

This data point contributes to a growing narrative - consumers are potentially becoming less inclined to spend premium prices on the newest iPhones as hardware updates become increasingly iterative. This trend may force Apple to consider new strategies to reignite consumer excitement for future iPhone releases.

In other news, Tech Times recently reported that Apple might be planning to make way for iPhone 17 Slim by phasing out the iPhone Plus.

As we discovered in several rumors, it could be more expensive than the iPhone 15 Pro Max since its price could exceed over $1, 199.

Other rumors pointed out its improved performance, anti-reflective display, enhanced ProMotion technology, slimmer design, and more.

Before anything else, we should not forget that iPhone 16 will be released first than iPhone 17. The successor of the iPhone 15 Pro will allegedly have a new "Rose" colorway. It should be noted that this rumor was different from the previous one which claimed that the same model would have a "Rose Gold" color option.

Elsewhere, tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple will be bringing compact camera modules for the 2025 MacBook Pro models.