Kuo: iPhone 12 Pro Demand Higher Than Expected

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released a research note this morning detailing what he's seen with the volume of iPhone 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro pre-orders in the first weekend of sales.

iphone 12 vs iphone 12 pro
Kuo had previously indicated that Apple's estimated shipment allocations for the new ‌iPhone‌ models placed the ‌iPhone‌ 12 at the top with 40-45% of inventory allocation (up from 15-20%). However, the strong interest in the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro in pre-orders has caused him to revise that split:

The iPhone 12 Pro pre-order beat our expectation because of Apple core fans’ initial preference for high-end models, the strong demand in the Chinese market, and the coming peak season demand in the US and Europe.

Due to the demand, Kuo sees the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 12 Pro to each have approximately 30-35% share each of new ‌iPhone‌ shipments in this quarter. Meanwhile, Kuo also downgraded his expectations for the iPhone 12 mini with estimates that it will be responsible for only 10-15% of sales (down from 20-25%). Kuo cites weak demand for the smaller device in the Chinese market.

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and 12 are very similar devices, though the Pro model has LiDAR, a telephoto camera lens and more RAM. More detailed comparison available:

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 12 Pro became eligible for pre-order on Friday, October 16. The ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ and iPhone 12 Pro Max pre-orders kick off on November 6.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
iPhone 16e Bottom Crop

Apple Reportedly Unveiling a New iPhone Next Week

Tuesday February 10, 2026 1:51 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report said the iPhone 17e will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, so do not expect an event for this device specifically. The iPhone 17e will be a spec-bumped successor to the iPhone 16e. Rumors claim the device will have four key...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Acquires New Database App

Wednesday February 11, 2026 6:44 am PST by
Apple acquired Canadian graph database company Kuzu last year, it has emerged. The acquisition, spotted by AppleInsider, was completed in October 2025 for an undisclosed sum. The company's website was subsequently taken down and its Github repository was archived, as is commonplace for Apple acquisitions. Kuzu was "an embedded graph database built for query speed, scalability, and easy of ...

Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
70 months ago
It's the same story every year

I've never seen an iPhone launch whose demand was lower than expected
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arn Avatar
70 months ago

It's the same story every year

I've never seen an iPhone launch whose demand was lower than expected
This is specifically about the Pro vs the non-pro. So in this case non-pro demand was lower than expected.

arn
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ilikewhey Avatar
70 months ago
kinda obvious when you jack up the price for 12 by 100 bucks, after matching the storage difference is only 120-150 depending on carrier.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
70 months ago
I originally was torn between the pro max and the mini - the mini for the size and how it was quite an upgrade over my XR, but I really like the pro camera features. However, I ended up compromising and going for the 12 pro. I’m just starting on iPhone photography, but the Max Pro is just too big a phone. I love the size of the XR.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
70 months ago
Gonna be a lot of Pacific Blue iPhones out there Lol.

The lineup this year is very good.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pioneer9k Avatar
70 months ago
Upgrading from my X, I would miss the telephoto lens for sure. I also appreciate the brighter screen and more RAM and 128gb. Thats why I went with the Pro
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)