Apple is gearing up to release the iPhone 13 in just a few months, and it's already feeling confident about the launch, reportedly ramping up production by 20% over last year's iPhone 12. Putting aside the iPhone 12 mini – whose poor sales may be a matter of bad timing rather than a bad product – the iPhone 12 series sales have been great. And Apple thinks it's going to be even better this year.
Bloomberg reports that Apple has given the heads up to its suppliers to manufacture 90 million iPhone 13 devices, citing "people with knowledge of the matter." This is a significant increase to the usual initial run of 75 million units which covers the period from the product launch window through to the end of the year. But it's no wonder Apple is feeling confident given the numbers we've seen when it comes to last year's iPhone sales.
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We covered the iPhone 12 and its "volume super-cycle" earlier this month; the series sold 100 million units in its first seven months on the market with the iPhone 12 Pro Max proving to be the most popular. The last time Apple saw its flagship iPhone sell in such a high volume in such a short period of time was with the iPhone 6.
Of course, the iPhone 12 is the company's first 5G iPhone which may explain the surge in sales as users already embedded in the Apple ecosystem dropped their antiquated 4G iPhone 11 handsets for the futureproof series 12. Apple seems confident enough in the upcoming flagship's predicted popularity to adjust production accordingly, and that is most likely down to the rumored upgrades it has in store.
Alongside the A15 processor which is already in production, the iPhone 13 is set to sport a smaller notch, better camera, and a display that drags it out of the dark ages; forget the 60Hz standard Apple has been bogging down its iPhones with. The leaks and rumors suggest we'll see a 120Hz always-on display to boot.
The 5G connectivity may have been the reason behind the iPhone 12's stellar sales, but the smartphone didn't offer much else over its competitors in other key areas. This year could be different, and Apple seems to think so. The rumored features have piqued my interest, and stalwart fans of the brand who like to tout new tech will almost certainly be tempted to ditch their existing phone for the iPhone 13. Apple could have another volume super-cycle on its hands thanks to the iPhone 13's upgrades, and I think that's a very strong possibility.
