iPhone Shipments This Year to Remain Below 200 Million Units: Report

Reports about dropping iPhone shipments were already making rounds in a few markets, with several analysts also predicting a sharp decline for Q1 2016 from a year ago. The iPhone has peaked, is the general consensus, with little chance of Apple ever beating the 74.8 million iPhone units shipped in a single quarter record from Q4 2015. Now, a reliable analyst from KGI Securities has forecast that Apple's iPhones year-on-year shipments may continue to drop this year and end up below market expectations.

9to5mac citing KGI's Ming-Chi Kuo investment note reports that Apple may see 2016 iPhone shipments fall below 200 million units. Further, the note said that the new iPhone, believed to be dubbed iPhone 7, may see lower sales than the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Kuo added that "lower-than-expected" iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus sales have suggested falling replacement demand in developed markets.

The note also claimed that the iPhone 7 may feature a "similar form factor" to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus with some improvements in features.

Kuo also was uncertain about a report from last week claiming that the iPhone SE received massive response and Apple reportedly received 3.4 million reservations. Kuo suggested that there was no evidence to "substantiate the number."

On the same lines, mobile engagement firm Localytics has claimed that the latest 4-inch iPhone SE has received underwhelming response in the opening weekend. The report adds that the iPhone SE has the slowest early adoption rate in the entire iPhone range.

In January, research firm Counterpoint had claimed that Apple shipped a record number of iPhone units in the October to December quarter in India. The firm had added that Apple shipped over 800,000 units in India in the quarter in "best ever [quarter] for Apple in India."