iPhone XR to Account for Over Half of New Model Shipments in 2018, Apple Watch Series 4 Shipments to Reach 18 Million: Ming-Chi Kuo

A week after the launch of the Apple Watch Series 4, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, TF Industries analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is back with his shipment predictions for all the Apple devices launched last week. The analyst notes that the hype around the iPhone XS will be minimal, while the iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR will shine throughout this holiday quarter. He expects iPhone XR to make up for about 55 to 60 percent of the new model shipments this year, while iPhone XS Max will make up for about 30 percent of the new model shipments. Apple Watch Series 4 will exceed initial demand expectations, and is predicted to reach 18 million shipments by the end of 2018.

In his latest investor note, obtained by 9to5Mac, Kuo notes that the total shipments of all the three variants is expected to grow slightly year on year to 75-80 million units for 2018. Kuo predicts that out these total shipments, iPhone XS Max will account for 30 percent shipments, while the iPhone XR will account for 55 to 60 percent shipments. Kuo states that the iPhone XS pre-orders have been 'lacklustre' so far, and this is seen by the general availability of the device on the Apple Store. This is in line with Digitimes Research's recent forecast of a total of 85 million shipments, out of which iPhone XR will account for half. iPhone XR is forecasted to account for the majority of sales, even after the delayed availability in October, a few weeks later than the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.

Furthermore, Kuo notes that the Apple Watch Series 4 will account for 18 million shipments in 2018 alone, and this is purely due to new features like ECG introduced on the device. The analyst claims that the watch will see even more sales if it gets regulatory approval for ECG in other regions, and is introduced outside of US as well. The analyst predicts that the new Apple Watch models will account for 55 percent of Apple Watch shipments.

Kuo says that the iPhone XS Max, in particular, has been received well in China, due to the dual-SIM option, the large screen, and the gold casing. In the US, the Apple Watch Series 4, and the new iPhone models are up for grabs this Friday, September 21.

In India, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will become available to buy from September 28, while the iPhone XR will become available to buy in the country from October 26.