iPhone 12 Shipments Forecast to Reach 51 Million in Q1 2021, a 38% YoY Uptick

Since its launch, the iPhone 12 range of smartphones has enjoyed robust performance. According to the research data analyzed and published by Comprar Acciones, the strong demand is expected to carry into 2021.

For the first quarter of 2021, it is projected that the number of shipments will increase by 38% to 51 million. The previous projection had estimated a total of 47 million shipments for the three-month period.

!function(e,i,n,s){var t=”InfogramEmbeds”,d=e.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement(“script”);o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src=”https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js”,d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,”infogram-async”);

The change in shipment estimates is attributed to order changes for the iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12. However, the figure for the iPhone 12 Mini is expected to remain unchanged.

A Nikkei Asia report cites that Apple is planning to increase its iPhone production by nearly 30% in H1 2021. Per the report, the company asked suppliers to make between 95 million and 96 million devices. The figure includes the iPhone 12 range, iPhone 11 and iPhone SE. For the full year, the tech giant plans to produce up to 230 million iPhones. That would translate to a 20% increase from 2020. It would also be nearly equal to the record high of 231.5 million devices that were shipped in 2015.

iPhone 12 Tops Global 5G Smartphone Sales in October with Nearly 25% Market Share

Apple suffered two consecutive years of declines in smartphone shipments in 2018 and 2019. However, during the first three quarters of 2020, total shipments surged by 1% YoY to 116 million according to IDC data.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, there was a significant increase in shipments thanks to the launch of iPhone 12. Based on Counterpoint Research data, iPhone 12 became the top 5G smartphone model globally in October 2020. This was despite the fact that it only sold for two weeks during that month.

!function(e,i,n,s){var t=”InfogramEmbeds”,d=e.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement(“script”);o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src=”https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js”,d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,”infogram-async”);

Within two weeks of launch, the model had a 16% share of total 5G smartphone sales worldwide. On the other hand, the iPhone 12 Pro grabbed an 8% market share in the same period. Together, they accounted for close to a quarter of total sales for the month.

For the ten-month period ending on October 31, 2020, the iPhone 12 made it to the seventh spot on the list of top 10 bestselling 5G devices. Considering that it had only sold for two weeks, that was no mean feat.

Prior to the launch of the iPhone range, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G was the top-selling 5G smartphone globally. It fell to the third spot in October 2020 with a 4% market share. Huawei Nova 7 5G was fourth with a 3% share while Huawei P40 5G took fifth place.

Completing the top 10 were a third Huawei model, two additional Samsung models and two Oppo models.

Week 1 iPhone 12 Sales Up by 104% Over iPhone 11 Week 1 Sales

Among the contributing factors to the company’s impressive performance is its strong demand in China and the US. In October 2020, sales in the US accounted for more than 30% of the total iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro sales.

Based on Cowen’s data, November 2020 alone saw sales in China surpass the 6 million unit mark. That translated to a 20% market share for China and set a multi-year record. There was also significant pent-up demand for a 5G device in the iOS market. Moreover, while most other 5G smartphones sell regionally, iPhone 12 is available in 140 countries.

According to Counterpoint Research, it seems likely that Apple will break the previous iPhone sales record during its Q1 FY21. In turn, that could pave the way for a record-breaking year for the iPhone.

A comparison of iPhone 12 vs iPhone 11 launch performance in the US well illustrates the popularity of the latest model.

For the first six weeks following its launch, the iPhone 12 range consistently outperformed iPhone 11. The only exception was during the second week.

iPhone 12 sales during its first week after launch shot up by 104% YoY compared to iPhone 11’s first week. The second week saw a 38% YoY decline, followed by a 118% increase in week three. There was a 57% increase in week four, 24% in the fifth week and 77% in week six.

It is worth noting that the double and triple-digit increases were posted in spite of 12 Pro and Pro Max models supply shortages. In the US and China, consumers have to contend with wait times of up to one month for these models.