The iPhone 14 Plus represents a larger variant within Apple’s iPhone 14 family, and its share of preorders in China on the initial sales day was surprisingly small. Reports attributed to My Drivers, citing Tianfeng International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, note that the largest portion of preorders went to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, with the iPhone 14 securing a modest portion and the standard iPhone 14 Plus capturing a minor slice. This discrepancy helps explain how consumer interest can diverge within a single product family when price points, feature sets, and perceived value create very different demand curves for each model among Chinese buyers and retailers alike. The observed distribution underscores how premium configurations typically attract the bulk of early demand, while base models struggle to achieve comparable momentum in the same window.
On the day of launch, market data compiled by JD.com indicated a very distinct ordering pattern. Preliminary figures show approximately 1,130,000 preorders for the iPhone 14 Pro, 800,000 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, around 330,000 for the iPhone 14, and roughly 140,000 for the iPhone 14 Plus. Such numbers reveal a pronounced skew toward higher-end models in the immediate period after release, a trend that aligns with observed behaviors in other major markets where retailers and consumers alike anticipate stronger resale value, longer software support, and enhanced camera and performance features from the pro variants. Analysts interpret this early tilt as a combination of consumer readiness to invest in premium devices and retailer strategies that maximize margins by prioritizing models with higher price points during the initial wave of demand.
When juxtaposed with long-standing annual sales patterns for iPhones, this anomaly becomes more pronounced. Historically, the most popular iPhone within a generation has often been the base model, at least for a portion of the year. The steep rise in preorders observed during the initial phase can be explained by several factors: heightened awareness of new releases, limited-time promotional offers, and the willingness of retailers to adjust pricing or offer bundles that enhance perceived value. The result is a temporary acceleration in demand for the higher-end variants at the outset, followed by a more balanced distribution as the market absorbs the full product lineup. This dynamic reflects how consumer expectations, supply chain considerations, and retail pricing strategies interact in a fast-moving market where technology upgrades are rapid and perceived benefits vary across user segments.
Industry commentary from various outlets notes a light-hearted reaction to Apple’s announcements and product lineup, with some observers joking about rival offerings while evaluating the performance potential of Apple’s latest devices. The overall takeaway remains that the iPhone family continues to demonstrate strong momentum in flagship configurations, while base models may experience a slower start in certain markets. The combination of advanced features, improved performance, and the network of authorized retailers supports ongoing demand across China, even as the mix of models that customers choose shows considerable variation from one release cycle to another. In this context, the early preorders provide a valuable snapshot of consumer preferences and retailer dynamics that will continue to unfold as the product cycle expands, prices stabilize, and new stock becomes available in the coming weeks and months.