Apple Has A Massive Sales Problem With The iPhone 14 Plus

When Apple announced the iPhone 14 lineup earlier this year, it made a slight change to the lineup by introducing a new model — the iPhone 14 Plus. This model had the exact hardware specifications as the standard iPhone 14 — except for a larger display. While not exactly a replacement for last year's iPhone 13 Mini, the iPhone 14 Plus filled a void in Apple's 2022 iPhone lineup following the cancellation of the iPhone Mini. Given that people weren't buying the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 13 Mini in sizable numbers, the writing was on the wall for the Mini series. Unfortunately, it is increasingly becoming evident that Apple's larger-screened replacement for the iPhone 13 Mini could meet the same fate.

After Apple announced the iPhone 14 lineup, analysts raised concerns about the iPhone 14 Plus (per GSMArena). While there was sizable consumer demand for the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the iPhone 14 Plus saw even lower consumer interest than the iPhone 13 Mini. With Apple focusing most of its resources on iPhone models that it knows will sell in large numbers, the company even delayed the availability of the Plus variant to the first week of October — which seems to have only exacerbated the problem. Recent reports indicate that Apple has decided to dramatically reduce the production of the iPhone 14 Plus due to poor consumer demand.

Adding credence to these claims is a recent The Information report in which the publication claims that Apple has asked several iPhone 14 Plus assemblers to cut the production of this model drastically. While two suppliers were asked to cut the production of the Plus variant by 70% and 90%, respectively, another vendor has completely stopped making the variant. While things continue to look bleak for the iPhone 14 Plus, the report claims that Apple is likely to press ahead with its plans to launch a successor to this model — the iPhone 15 Plus — next year. 

On paper, the iPhone 14 Plus seems like a logical purchase. It is only $100 more than the iPhone 14 and is the lowest-priced large-screen iPhone Apple has ever made. The larger battery on the iPhone 14 Plus also endowed it with the best battery life among all the iPhone 14 models. Despite this, however, the phone isn't reportedly doing well. It is pertinent to note that there isn't anything inherently wrong with the iPhone 14 Plus — save for its positioning. At a starting price of $899, it is only $100 cheaper than the $999 iPhone 14 Pro. For just $200 more, users can get the iPhone 14 Pro Max instead. If initial indications are anything to go by, it seems people are choosing to upgrade to the Pro models rather than spending an additional $100 or $200 for what is essentially an iPhone 14 with a larger display.