iPhone 12 Series Still Strong Despite Weaker Demand, Says JP Morgan Analyst

Quarterly shipments of Apple's iPhone 12 series continue to enjoy a year-on-year increase, despite weakening demand for the devices, according to JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee (via AppleInsider).

iPhone 12 Layout Feature
In an investor note from the analyst, Chatterjee decreased his 2021 ‌iPhone‌ shipment expectations from 236 million units to 230 million units, but noted that this number was still equivalent to a 13% overall increase in volume shipments for Apple compared to 2020.

Chatterjee's revised expectations are based on a significant cut in ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro shipments and weaker-than-expected demand for the iPhone 12 mini, both of which make the bank "take note of a weaker demand environment." Chatterjee continues to believe that Apple will discontinue ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ production in the second quarter this year.

A report at the start of the year suggested Apple's ‌‌iPhone 12 mini‌‌, which is the smallest ‌‌iPhone‌‌ that has been released since the 2016 ‌iPhone‌ SE, has not been selling as well as Apple hoped, making up just 6% of ‌iPhone‌ 12 sales in the U.S. in October and November. A later report claimed that the ‌‌iPhone 12 mini‌‌ accounted for only 5% of all ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ sales in the U.S. in the first half of January.

The JP Morgan analyst puts the slowing demand for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 series as a whole down to weaker consumer spending in China and a normalization of demand trends following the initial excitement surrounding Apple's adoption of 5G connectivity in the ‌iPhone‌ 12 series.

Chatterjee revised his shipment estimate to 52 million units for the March quarter, a 3 million decrease compared to his original expectations. For the June quarter, the analyst revised the number to 42 million units from 36 million units.

"However, at this time we do not see any reason to change our 2H21 volume forecast," said Chatterjee, noting that the supply chain is sticking with its 80 to 90 million build estimate for the first half of this year.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro is Vulnerable to Scratching, But Not Where You Might Think

Tuesday September 23, 2025 2:18 pm PDT by
Early reports have suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air are more vulnerable to scratches and scuffs, primarily due to damage spotted at Apple Stores. Apple customers have discovered that the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models Apple has out for display at its retail locations have scratching in the area of the MagSafe charger. Those devices are handled by hundreds to thousands of...

Top Rated Comments

ian87w Avatar
60 months ago
Meh, typical Apple cycle. Sales will keep slowing down until the next iPhone is released. Getting tired of analysts proclaiming the obvious.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
60 months ago
This same re-hashed article rolls out almost every single year at this time, we’re six months into the halfway point from the iPhone 12 launch, which always has a drag in sales. But, I also suspect the unstable economy might have an affect on iPhone sales, which consumers probably won’t upgrade unless absolutely necessary.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Romeo_Nightfall Avatar
60 months ago
still STRONG
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
60 months ago

This same re-hashed article rolls out almost every single year at this time, we’re six months into the halfway point from the iPhone 12 launch, which always has a drag in sales. But, I also suspect the unstable economy might have an affect on iPhone sales, which consumers probably won’t upgrade unless absolutely necessary.
This isn't size months ... we're about to start the 4.5mth (mid-October 2020 launch).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ikramerica Avatar
60 months ago
We did our part. My wife loves her valentines day 12 as a replacement for her old 6+. Granted it’s much much faster, but it’s also lighter and smaller for roughly the same screen width, higher dpi and much better main camera. She says she doesn’t miss touch ID, but I still would miss it.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7493920 Avatar
60 months ago
No way iPhone mini gets discontinued during second quarter. Maybe they decide to not continue to produce it at a lower price after the next generation iPhone gets introduced.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)