Skip to main content

Apple tastes success with iPhone 11, increases orders to meet demand

The new iPhone 11 models have proven to be a hit for Apple, to the point where it has told its suppliers to increase production of certain models to ensure it can meet demand. According to Nikkei Asian Review, Apple has bumped up production by 10%, which should add another 8 million phones to its sales arsenal around the world.

iPhone 11 Pro Max rear design
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

However, it’s not across the range that Apple is seeing more demand, and while the increase in orders concentrates on the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 11 Pro, it has cut back on orders for the largest and most expensive iPhone 11 Pro Max model. It’s no surprise the $700 iPhone 11 has proven popular, due to the unexpected and very welcome price reduction compared to last year’s cheapest new model, the $750 iPhone XR.

To get the iPhone 11 Pro Max you need to spend at least $1,100, and aside from the larger screen, the phone has the same features and specification as the slightly smaller and cheaper iPhone 11 Pro. Apple has made substantial improvements to the camera on the 2019 Pro models compared to the 2018 iPhone XS and XS Max, ensuring they are very tempting upgrades for owners of last year’s and the year before’s iPhone devices.

Are popularity and a cheaper entry price the main reasons for upping production? Apple was apparently conservative in its orders for 2019, a possible response to a fall in iPhone sales last year. It wasn’t only Apple that sold fewer phones in 2018 though, as for the first time ever smartphone sales across the industry stopped growing. Additionally, continued tariff increases on goods from both the U.S. and China may have prompted Apple to boost production, ensuring it doesn’t get caught up in the next wave of increases expected over the next few months. The iPhone 11 series is made in China.

Suppliers are cautious over the sudden increase meaning more orders will come later on too, avoiding the low demand from the beginning of the year. An anonymous source speaking to Nikkei said, “We have to be careful not to be too optimistic. I hope that this year’s peak season lasts longer than last year.”

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
5 phones you should buy instead of the iPhone 15 Plus
A person holding the Apple iPhone 15 Plus.

Apple iPhone 15 Plus Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The iPhone 15 Plus has all the features that people love in an iPhone 15, but with a larger screen. However, there might be some reasons why you may not want to purchase it — such as its price and the fact that it lacks some features compared to the iPhone 15 Pro series.

Read more
Apple’s new iPad Pro keyboard is a bigger deal than you think
iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard.

A fresh crop of iPads is here, and this time around, Apple pulled out all the stops. The new models feature an OLED display, new Pro apps, the thinnest chassis ever, and a next-gen M-processor that has yet to appear elsewhere save for the new iPad Pros. Starting at $999, Apple is charging quite some premium for its new slates. But what truly stood out to me was the new Magic Keyboard — and for multiple reasons.

This one has a full row of function keys and a dedicated escape button. For a device that wants to compete with a laptop, the lack of an escape key was quite a bummer, as was the lack of quick-control function keys. Heck, the Magic Keyboard for the base iPad got that perk, so it was an overdue tweak for the flagship iPadss.

Read more
The Apple Watch is the best iPhone camera accessory you didn’t know you needed
A person wearing an Apple Watch Series 9, made for the OuttaFocus column.

Photo taken with an iPhone 15 Pro Max controlled using an Apple Watch Series 9. Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Smartwatches and cameras rarely go together very well. We’ve seen smart wristwear with cameras fitted in the past, but the combination wasn’t very successful, and few manufacturers even bother today.

Read more