Prominent Analysts Predict Peak of iPhone Sales in 2015

Apple’s iPhone – a powerhouse impressing the global markets since its inception in 2007. With an impressive record of selling over 700 million units since the debut of the first-generation iPhone, Apple continues to enjoy unprecedented success. The zenith of this achievement was witnessed in September, when the company announced selling over 13 million units of the iPhone 6 and 6s in a single weekend.

According to data detailed in a Wall Street Journal report, Apple’s share of the smartphone industry profit soared to 92%. Capturing 92% of the total income from the world’s eight top smartphone makers, this lucrative juggernaut shows a 27% jump from the preceding year. The company’s financial strength is further endorsed by its enveloping cash stockpile, amounting to over $200 billion in July, validating CEO Tim Cook’s proclamation of an “amazing quarter”.

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In October, we provided an in-depth analysis of how Apple has managed to uphold this dominance over its competitors. The approach revealed the blend of low production cost, high sales price, and a consistent clutch of loyal customers.

However, like anything else in the world of tech, with ebb and flow, it is assumed that this prosperous reign could hit a ceiling. Leading analysts from renowned firms like Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse project 2015 as a possible year witnessing the peak of iPhone sales.

Here’s a snapshot of what these industry bigwigs believe, per the analysis by Business Insider:

MORGAN STANLEY: In a prediction made on a Monday, the firm projected a nearly 6% drop in sales of iPhone for Apple’s 2016 financial year (equating to a 2.9% drop for the calendar year). Analyst Katy Huberty attributed two key factors for the dip – higher prices in international markets (excluding China) and saturation of smartphone penetration in developed markets.

BAIRD: In a research note published on Tuesday, Baird suggested a 20% cut in procurement orders based on conversations within the supply chain.

CREDIT SUISSE: On a Wednesday, the firm lowered its estimate for calendar year 2016 iPhone sales to 214 million – a staggering 8 million less than its previous forecast, and even lower than Morgan Stanley’s 224 million prediction for the same period.

PIPERJAFFRAY: Gene Munster from PiperJaffray, however, offered a more positive outlook. He firmly maintained that iPhone growth would continue during the iPhone 7 cycle, despite cuts to analyst estimates.

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Morgan Stanley envisages iPhone sales in 2016 to be around 218 million, a 5.7% drop compared to the 231 million sales in 2015. The reports, however, did not delve much into the performance of other Apple services such as Apple TV, Apple Music, and Apple Watch.

Apple’s iPhone prices have consistently remained high, even during a time when low-cost smartphones have made significant inroads into markets in Africa and Asia. This strategy questions whether the iPhone can maintain dominance in an increasingly competitive global market.

Read more about the Morgan Stanley report on the Business Insider website [link].

Embellishing this shifting landscape of iPhone sales data, it remains to be seen how Apple responds to these projections. Improving accessibility without sacrificing on quality may be the brand’s way to ensure a golden horizon ahead, even in the face of such skeptical forecasts.