iPhone 6 And 6+ Enjoy Strong Demand, But Limited Supply

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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s latest iPhones are enjoying strong consumer demand, says a report dated 13 October 2014 by Canaccord Genuity analysts T. Michael Walkley and Siddharth Sinha. Based on the results of their smartphone survey, analysts expect the demand to outstrip supply.

iPhone 6 supply outstripping demand

A steady demand is also expected for the earlier iPhone 5S, which is going well “at the $100 subsidized price point.” Canaccord Genuity analysts are maintaining their iPhone estimates.

Based on the survey results, the analysts conclude that the sales of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus are way ahead of rivals at all four tier-1 U.S carriers “and at virtually all channels where these devices were available.” However, analysts also noted that the supply is very constrained, especially for the bigger iPhone. At all four tier-1 U.S. carriers, the iPhone 6 Plus was out of stock, with a wait time of 2-3 weeks or more. The iPhone 6 was in limited availability at AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, with a wait time of over 7-days.

Big screen helping Apple to win Android users

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has offered bigger screens with the new iPhones, and analysts expect this to help the company gain more in the high-end smartphone market. Citing the survey results, the analysts say that a “greater mix” of Android users are switching to the iPhone 6 smartphones compared to the iPhone 5 series. Based on these findings, they have lowered their Android smartphone estimates.

Walkley et al. have maintained their first and second quarter estimates for fiscal 2015, basing their decision on the survey results, supply chain analysis and talks with the distributors. For the first and second quarter of fiscal 2015, they expect Apple to ship 63 million and 53.6 million devices respectively.

After much delay, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is finally scheduled to launch its new iPhone in China on October 17. Considering the strong pre-orders from the region, the analysts expect Apple to ship 18 million units in the December quarter compared to the earlier estimate of 10 million “as Apple ramps iPhone 6 Plus supply.”

Although Walkley and colleagues have an above consensus December quarter iPhone ASP of $680, “we believe a stronger mix of the iPhone 6 Plus could provide upside to our estimates.”

the Canaccord Genuity analysts reiterate their Buy rating on Apple with a price target of $115.

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