During the second quarter of 2023, which ended in June, smartphone sales moved back to the retail stores owned by wireless providers. During the pandemic, consumers moved away from the tried and true tradition of buying new handsets from the closest retail location that belongs to their wireless firms. There, consumers could buy their new phones after checking it out with other models, and have it set up correctly by the store rep who would also show customers how to work some of the features of their new devices.
U.S. consumers are returning to mobile carrier retail locations to buy their new iPhone models
During Q2, 52% of U.S. iPhone purchases were made from the retail stores belonging to a U.S. carrier
During the three-month period that ended in June, 79% of U.S. iPhone sales were purchased from mobile carriers; 52% of those transactions took place inside a carrier’s retail store and 27% were made on a wireless provider’s website. U.S. Physical Apple Store purchases of iPhone units during Q2 made up 11% of state-side iPhone sales during the period while 6% of iPhone sales came from Apple’s own online store.
Prices for the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to rise compared to last year’s models
The iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra will be the first and only iPhone model to be equipped with a periscope lens which bends inside the phone and uses prisms to carry the light from the lens to the image sensor. By extending the focal length of the lens within the small confines of a smartphone body, the periscope lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra will allow an increase in optical zoom from 3x on the iPhone 14 Pro Max to 6x and perhaps more on the 2023 model. Next year, the iPhone 16 Pro is rumored to also get a periscope lens.
