Apple is expected to announce new iPhones at an event which will probably be scheduled for next month. While reports have emerged that Apple is facing supply chain issues and there could be a delay in the availability of the iPhone 15 series, noted Apple analyst has refuted such reports. Let’s find out what he has to say about Apple’s upcoming iPhone lineup.
Apple to surpass Samsung in 2023
Reputed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has recently published a research note in his blog on Medium. He has claimed that Apple is poised to surpass Samsung to become the largest smartphone brand in the world. This will be possible only if Apple is able to retain 2H24 iPhone orders. Samsung, on the other hand, has seen a decline in its smartphone shipments and is expected to reach around 220 million units by the end of this year.
Kuo expects Apple to reach 220–225 million units in 2023, thus beating Samsung to become the largest smartphone brand. This change in ranking will be beneficial for the overall Apple ecosystem Kuo says.
He further says that Apple is targeting 250 million iPhone shipments in 2023 and he believes that this number can grow by 5-10% year-on-year basis. Meanwhile, Samsung has a conservative approach for 2024. Therefore, it is very likely that Apple will continue to be the largest smartphone brand in 2024, after taking up the mantle in 2023.
Apple could see a rebound in its stock price ahead of new product announcements in September and could become the world’s largest smartphone brand by 2023 and 2024 / Apple在9月新產品發布前或迎來股價反彈機會，並可望在2023與2024年成為全球最大智慧型手機品牌https://t.co/TFqmssVFKE
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) August 28, 2023
iPhone 15 Pro Max mass shipments begin this week
Coming to iPhone 15 shipments and delays, Kuo says Apple will begin mass shipments of iPhone 15 Pro Max from this week onwards. This comes at the heels of several reports which claimed that the upcoming top-end iPhone will be delayed by at least 3 to 4 weeks due to supply chain issues.
Recently, 9to5Mac reported that top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max might face delays of up to 3 to 4 weeks due to the new camera sensor which was not available in a timely manner to Apple.
“The market is concerned that iPhone 15 shipments will be further cut due to supply chain issues (my estimate of 80 million units vs. conservative views of 70–80 million units), especially iPhone 15 Pro Max shipments will be delayed. However, the fact is that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will start mass shipments this week, and Apple is also increasing shipments of legacy models simultaneously,” writes Kuo.
He further says that the market is overly conservative of iPhone/iPhone 15 2H24 shipments. This has led to a correction in AAPL stock price. With new product announcements coming up, this could lead to a favorable trading sentiment and open opportunities for the stock to rebound in the near future.