Apple stopped selling the iPhone 11 Pro models — here’s why
ANSWER: supply chain and communication
Why has Apple stopped selling the iPhone 11 Pro models?
I think it’s about two connected things: supply chain and muddling its phone range.
The first one we can brush past quickly. The more different phones Apple sells, the more complex manufacturing and shipping them becomes. Discontinuing the iPhone 11 Pro nips that in the bud.
This doesn’t adequately answerwhythe company would get rid of some of its best phones so quickly. And, to understand that, we need to look closerat yesterday’s announcements.
This was the first time Apple introduced four different iPhone models — this brings the current number of iPhones it’s selling up to seven. Now, let’s have a look at how much the base models cost:
This makes it pretty clear why Apple’s stopped selling the iPhone 11 Pro models.
Considering the iPhone 11 had $100 taken off its price with the new launches, we can assume Apple would take a similar chunk off the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max. This would put them between $749 and $999 — depending on how generous Apple felt, of course.
This would amount to a huge jumble in Apple’s mid-to-high range. The issue is not just a communication one (what’s better, the iPhone 12 or iPhone 11 Pro?), but it’d also cannibalize sales of the newer models, something that wouldn’t look good to stockholders and investors.
In this instance, removing 2019’s iPhone 11 Pro models makes sense.
Apple resellers will still be able to stock the them — and you’ll probably be able to get some pretty decent deals on these in the coming months — but the company itself will be able to wash its hands of the devices and focus on shifting newer handsets. Clever.
Story byCallum Booth
Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting(show all)Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting was cited widely, including in VICE, the FT, and the BBC.
Callum’s writing has appeared in The Verge, The Daily Telegraph, Time Out, and many more. He covers the full spectrum of technology, with a particular focus on how it shapes our daily lives. And a lot of regulation stuff too.
Outside of work, Callum’s an avid bookworm, a Fisherman’s Friends addict, and resolutely unshaven. Follow him on Twitter @CallumBooth or visit www.callumbooth.net.
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