The iPhone 16 Plus is cannibalizing Pro models’ sales

2024’s Pro iPhones are seemingly not as appealing as last year’s.

The iPhone 16 Plus is cannibalizing Pro models’ sales
Apple iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max
Credit: Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
  • Pre-order sales of the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have dropped by 27% and 16%, respectively, compared to last year’s models.
  • Those of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have increased by 10% and 48% compared to their predecessors’ first-weekend sales.
  • While there’s more interest in regular iPhone 16 models than last year’s variants, Pro models continue to sell significantly more.

Last year, customers showed high interest in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, partially due to its exclusive tetraprism lens that unlocks a longer zoom range. This year is different, though. The aforementioned lens has expanded to the smaller iPhone 16 Pro, while the non-Pro iPhone 16 models got Pro-esque features — including the Action and Camera Control buttons. This has seemingly influenced this year’s sales, as more customers are opting for the iPhone 16 Plus, while the Pro models’ share declined.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, first-weekend pre-order sales for Pro iPhones have significantly dropped this year. Compared to the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max sales fell by 27% and 16%, respectively. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus sold 10% and 48% more than their predecessors during the first weekend.