Analysts Estimate Apple Q1 iPhone X Shipment To Be As Low As 10 Million

The iPhone X is widely considered Apple’s latest flagship device and demand for the smartphone during Q4 2017 was touted as healthy. However, analysts have recently estimated that the shipment of the company’s most expensive mass consumer phone yet will drop to staggering lows. In fact, the shipment could go as low as 10 million units.

The dismal estimate comes from Sinolink Securities Co. analyst Zhang Bin, who submitted a report on Monday citing lackluster demands for the iPhone X after the holiday shopping season, Bloomberg reports. Many in the market are apparently worried that the device is simply too expensive for consumers to justify a purchase.

"After the first wave of demand has been fulfilled, the market now worries that the high price of the iPhone X may weaken demand in the first quarter," Zhang wrote.

The 10 million estimate is substantially lower than what JL Warren Capital LLC predicted, as well, which already placed shipment at 25 million due to lower orders for the device. That’s 5 million less than Q4 2017. What really has the market concerned is that despite the considerable marketing effort and expenses that went into promoting the iPhone X, they didn’t seem to have much of an effect at boosting the demand for the device.

As a result, Apple has reportedly lowered its own forecast of iPhone X unit shipment from 50 million to 30 million for Q1. The reduction in demand even affected its supplier, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., which apparently stopped recruiting workers in one of its hubs, Patently Apple noted.

In keeping with its practices, Apple has made no comments with regards to these new developments and neither has its suppliers. However, the company has been struggling to boost interest in its iPhone products, with consumers noting the absence of innovation with each new iteration.