"Meanwhile, market research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners told The Wall Street Journal that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus only accounted for 16 percent of iPhone sales in the September quarter, compared to 43 percent for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus last year. The iPhone 8 models constituted 2.4 percent of iPhones in use one month after shipments began—predecessors managed more than twice that share in the same time period. A survey of carrier stores showed the cheaper iPhone 7 outselling the iPhone 8 in the US and UK, though customers who shop at carrier stores may generally have different preferences than those who buy their phones directly from Apple or from other types of retailers." [1]
Where there is smoke there is fire. Just like most rumors/leaks are true, just how everyone knew Travis was getting canned from Uber weeks before it was announced... all speculation but is rarely wrong. I guess we'll see at the earnings report.
But this is the first time in the history that we haven't heard of the new iPhone flying off the shelfs, about serious back orders, etc...
It would not be a horrible decision for Apple to make, because they embrace a solution to the Innovator's Dilemma.
The Innovator's Dilemma [1] is something that Steve Jobs seemed to have solved. How? Selling one product that cannibalizes sales of another from the same company was A-OK on his watch.
The iPod Mini was a perfectly fine device, yet Apple introduced the iPod Nano at the height of the Mini's popularity. The Nano had less storage [2], but it had solid state flash memory, and therefore was thinner yet.
How'd that work out for Apple? Just fine [3] - they kept about 80% marketshare for the entire life of dedicated digital music players in the market, and that market only went away when Apple brought out a phone so good that it made carrying a dedicated digital music player unnecessary.
Competing with themselves is a key piece in Apple's sustained success in a few markets. The iPhone 8 / X matchup shows they continue to not be afraid to do that with their phone, and I think that's a very healthy thing for their continued success... which also feeds into continued success of their ecosystem, including app developers (like myself!).
> yet Apple introduced the iPod Nano at the height of the Mini's popularity
So they introduced the X right at the iPhone8's peak? I can believe that.
Apple has certainly done that in the past, used to be the best at it but this is the new Apple, not a technology company anymore but a lifestyle company and the product has suffered as a result.
