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Demand Tepid For Apple's iPhone 8 As Consumers Await iPhone X: Survey

Apple's (AAPL) iPhone 8 series handsets are significantly underperforming prior new iPhone launches, a new survey reveals.

Consumer Intelligence Research Partners on Monday said the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus accounted for 16% of total U.S. iPhone sales in the September quarter.

During the same time frame last year, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus together accounted for 43% of sales. Two years ago, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus represented 24% of sales. And, three years ago, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were 46% of sales in their launch quarter, CIRP said.

"In terms of consumer demand and reception, the 8 and 8 Plus have a share of total sales that makes them look much more like an 'S' model," CIRP partner Josh Lowitz said in a news release. "This is not surprising, as the form factor remained the same, and the improvements in features were incremental and internal."

Apple skipped its usual S model release this year. Traditionally Apple has released an S model, which features incremental improvements over the prior generation, every other year.

This year, instead of an iPhone 7S series, Apple jumped right to the iPhone 8. Further complicating matters, Apple decided to release a second new model, the iPhone X, which is due out on Nov. 3.

"It seems when Apple announced the forthcoming iPhone X, it changed the market dynamic, and probably depressed demand for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus," CIRP partner Mike Levin said in a prepared statement. Also, many consumers opted to buy lower-priced iPhones during the quarter.


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"Both the newly reduced-price iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and older iPhone models continue to see strong demand," Levin said. "The 7 and 7 Plus account for 58% of sales in the quarter, much higher than the 35% for the then year-old iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in September 2016, and exactly same as the share for the then year-old iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in September 2015."

CIRP's latest findings were based on a survey of 500 U.S. Apple customers who purchased an iPhone during the September quarter.

Apple shares ticked down less than 0.1% to close at 156.17 on the stock market today.

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