With the iPhone X finally introducing a new design to the iPhone lineup, it made sense that many would be more attracted to the handset versus the iPhone 8, which apart from its glass back is still very reminiscent of the previous few iPhone generations, not to mention the various new features such as Face ID and an OLED display.
This is why we can’t say we were surprised to learn that the iPhone X could be hurting iPhone 8 sales as some customers could be holding out for it instead. This also seems to be implied by the shorter queues that several Apple Stores are seeing. However according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, his latest report suggests that we could be wrong, and that demand for the new iPhones are stable.
His report claims that opening weekend sales were about half of that of last year’s model, but apparently that is within expectations. His report also goes on to add that the iPhone 8 Plus seems to be a more popular choice this year and is so far accounting for more than half of initial iPhone 8 sales.
As 9to5Mac points out, there is a chance that the larger queues could still happen when the iPhone X is released which is this November. They also write that the skewed sales could correct itself over time as more customers upgrade, but in the meantime Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has claimed that the iPhone 8 is doing well and has actually sold out in some stores.