Apple’s cheapest iPhone continues to gain more power after upgrades

Apple’s entry-level iPhone 15 is taking almost twice as long to be delivered this year than the previous model, indicating high demand for the company’s latest phones.

In China, Apple’s largest overseas market, wait times for the iPhone 15 quadrupled, according to data from Counterpoint Research. At the other end of the market, researchers found that Apple’s flagship iPhone 15 Pro Max also pushed pre-order wait times to record levels. Major upgrades to both models brought back demand, though some of that came at the expense of other Apple options, like the 15 Plus and 15 Pro, which saw lower wait times.

“We expected wait times for the base model iPhone 15 in China to be much lower – perhaps on par with last year,” said Archie Zhang, an analyst at Counterpoint. “In terms of premium quality, the Pro Max remains the most popular iPhone in China with long delivery wait times to reflect this.”

Extended delivery times have not translated into an increase in resale prices, with researchers confirming a Bloomberg report last Friday (September 22) that resale prices in China offer modest returns. This may indicate that demand is at least partly driven by people trading in their existing devices.

“In a year marked by low demand for smartphones, the trade-in program is expected to play a key role in reducing psychological barriers for those considering purchasing a new phone,” said Evan Lam of Counterpoint. “It has become an increasingly important factor contributing to Apple’s market dominance.”