Apple iPhone XR Predicted To Outsell iPhone 8 During Holiday Season

Apple’s iPhone XR is now believed to do better than last year’s iPhone 8 during the holiday season and even in early 2019. The strong demand for the only LCD iPhone in the 2018 lineup is said to be mainly due to its new form factor and upgraded specs.

AppleInsider managed to obtain a copy of Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest research note on Monday, and the news outlet disclosed the predictions made by the renowned analyst on the demand and market performance of the upcoming iPhone XR.

According to Kuo, demand for the iPhone XR is believed to be better than expected, so Apple is preparing 38 million units of the device for the upcoming holiday season. Kuo also thinks that unlike the iPhone 8, whose demand dropped nearly 50 percent after the holidays, the iPhone XR’s demand will most likely drop 30 percent only.

Kuo indicated that the iPhone XR will outsell the iPhone 8 due to the former’s new form factor and its upgraded specs and features, such as longer battery life and the inclusion of an edge-to-edge display — now a defining feature of newer iPhones.

Kuo previously predicted Apple to sell a total of 80 million iPhones in its first fiscal quarter, which ends on Dec. 31. However, in his latest research note, Kuo changed his prediction to 83 million units. For the second fiscal quarter, Kuo expects Apple to sell about 80 million iPhones, with the iPhone XR believed to account for 50 percent of the total.

The iPhone XR is the third model out of the 2018 lineup of iPhones Apple introduced in September. Unlike the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, the iPhone XR is a cheaper variant that comes with a 6.1-inch LCD display instead of an OLED panel. It only has a single 12-megapixel, wide-angle camera on its back, and it comes in a variety of bright color options.

Pre-orders for the iPhone XR are set to open on Oct. 19. Apple will start shipping the units on Oct. 26.