• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

2

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

3

Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45

1

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

2

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

3

Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
TechApple

iPhone SE Won’t Be as Popular as Apple Hopes, Study Says

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 23, 2016, 11:02 AM ET

Apple’s newly announced iPhone SE could be less popular than the company hopes, according to a new study.

Apple (AAPL) will sell between 4 million and 6 million iPhone SE units in the U.S. in its first year of availability, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) wrote in a study released this week. CIRP added that it’s unlikely for current owners of Apple’s larger iPhones to “trade down” to the iPhone SE.

“The analysis indicates the limited opportunity for Apple to sell the smaller iPhone SE in the U.S.,” Mike Levin, partner and co-founder of CIRP, said in a statement. “Very few of the 81 million consumers that already own a larger iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, or 6s or 6s Plus, are likely to trade down to the smaller iPhone SE.”

The other issue, says Josh Lowitz, Levin’s partner, is that CIRP’s survey of 500 Apple customers shows that the vast majority of current iPhone owners may be more interested in going up in screen size, rather than sticking with a 4-inch display.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“A significant number of the 29 million consumers that currently own an older iPhone will also want to trade up to the larger phones,” Lowitz said in a statement. “Our data suggests in the past year, 85-90% of consumers that replaced an older 4-inch screen iPhone upgraded to the new, larger iPhone models—the 6, 6 Plus, 6s, or 6s Plus. So, we expect perhaps 3-4 million, or 10-15% of the 29 million US 4-inch iPhone base, to purchase the new iPhone SE.”

Apple announced its long-rumored iPhone SE at a special press event Monday. The device comes with a nearly identical design to that of the iPhone 5s, the smartphone the company launched in 2013 and had been selling until the SE came along. Despite the design similarities, the iPhone SE boasts a better processor and camera than the iPhone 5s.

Perhaps most important, the device is cheaper than the iPhone 5s. While Apple was previously selling its decidedly underpowered iPhone 5s for a starting price of $450, the iPhone SE starts at $399.

For more about Apple, watch:

It’s important to note, therefore, that CIRP’s data may be comparing two entirely different things. Customers may have been choosing the larger-screened iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s over the last couple of years due to iPhone 5s power issues compared with its alternatives. And with a more affordable price tag, it’s possible that Apple could attract more shoppers to the iPhone SE than it did to the iPhone 5s.

“It was a bit of a surprise that [Apple] dropped the price of the entry-level iPhone more than 10%, even as they copied over most of the cool new technology of the iPhone 6s,” Forrester Research vice president and principal analyst Frank Gillett told Fortune on Monday. “Getting below $400 is a new level that will draw interest from buyers who thought they could only afford Android.”

He added that the company’s new strategy on pricing could help it “reach a lot of people.”

Indeed, the U.S. isn’t the only market that Apple cares about. The company was quick to note at its “Let us loop you in” event Monday that while the iPhone SE will be available to a handful of countries this month, it plans to sell it in 110 countries by the end of May. It’s in those countries—especially emerging markets where price sensitivity is a concern—that the iPhone SE could be successful.

Read more: Apple Watch Gets $50 Price Cut and New Watchbands

“The smaller iPhone SE is targeting existing Apple customers who prefer the old 4-inch display size, as well as first-time iPhone users as a lower priced entry point into the Apple ecosystem,” Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie Securities, wrote to investors Monday.

In the U.S., though, CIRP believes the possibility of first-time phone buyers and even people looking to switch from an Android device to the iPhone SE will be relatively slight. The company said that in the past year, across all iPhone models, just 17% of those who own an Apple smartphone previously owned an Android handset. What’s more, just 1% of all iPhone customers in the U.S. are first-time phone buyers, CIRP says.

“We also think that relatively few Android switchers and first-time phone buyers will opt to purchase the iPhone SE,” Levin said.

CIRP’s findings are just the latest to throw cold water on the iPhone SE’s chances of success. Several analysts told Reuters on Tuesday that based on their understanding of market demand in key markets such as China and India, the iPhone SE could be a flop.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Exclusive: Consumer device giant LG Electronics to launch blockchain to place and sell ads
CryptoBlockchain
Exclusive: Consumer device giant LG Electronics to launch blockchain to place and sell ads
By Jack Kubinec and Ben WeissJune 11, 2026
2 hours ago
As SpaceX goes public, a $100 billion shadow market faces a reckoning
Startups & VentureSpaceX
As SpaceX goes public, a $100 billion shadow market faces a reckoning
By Allie GarfinkleJune 11, 2026
2 hours ago
The real hurdle to enterprise AI isn’t fixing productivity KPIs. It’s ‘unlearning’ old habits, experts say
Future of WorkBrainstorm Tech
The real hurdle to enterprise AI isn’t fixing productivity KPIs. It’s ‘unlearning’ old habits, experts say
By Sebastian HerreraJune 11, 2026
2 hours ago
After backlash, Anthropic says its AI will now tell users when their request is being rejected or downgraded for national security concerns
AITech
After backlash, Anthropic says its AI will now tell users when their request is being rejected or downgraded for national security concerns
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 11, 2026
3 hours ago
Agility Robotics Chief Executive Peggy Johnson speaks on stage at Brainstorm Tech 2026 in Aspen, Colorado.
AIBrainstorm Tech
Tech leaders argue AI’s real future Is task augmentation, not mass layoffs
By Sebastian HerreraJune 11, 2026
3 hours ago
‘China follows Musk very closely’: While SpaceX blocked Chinese investors from IPO, China’s space firms prep their own as a counterweight
AsiaSpaceX
‘China follows Musk very closely’: While SpaceX blocked Chinese investors from IPO, China’s space firms prep their own as a counterweight
By Mia OsmonbekovJune 11, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
1 day ago
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
3 days ago
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
Innovation
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
2 days ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 10, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 10, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 10, 2026
1 day ago
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.