Kuo: iPhone 12 Pro Demand Higher Than Expected

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released a research note this morning detailing what he's seen with the volume of iPhone 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro pre-orders in the first weekend of sales.

iphone 12 vs iphone 12 pro
Kuo had previously indicated that Apple's estimated shipment allocations for the new ‌iPhone‌ models placed the ‌iPhone‌ 12 at the top with 40-45% of inventory allocation (up from 15-20%). However, the strong interest in the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro in pre-orders has caused him to revise that split:

The iPhone 12 Pro pre-order beat our expectation because of Apple core fans’ initial preference for high-end models, the strong demand in the Chinese market, and the coming peak season demand in the US and Europe.

Due to the demand, Kuo sees the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 12 Pro to each have approximately 30-35% share each of new ‌iPhone‌ shipments in this quarter. Meanwhile, Kuo also downgraded his expectations for the iPhone 12 mini with estimates that it will be responsible for only 10-15% of sales (down from 20-25%). Kuo cites weak demand for the smaller device in the Chinese market.

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and 12 are very similar devices, though the Pro model has LiDAR, a telephoto camera lens and more RAM. More detailed comparison available:

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 12 Pro became eligible for pre-order on Friday, October 16. The ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ and iPhone 12 Pro Max pre-orders kick off on November 6.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
m4 macbook air blue 2

iPadOS and macOS 26.2 Double 5GHz Wi-Fi Bandwidth for Wi-Fi 6E Devices

Monday January 5, 2026 1:57 pm PST by
With the release of iPadOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2, Apple has improved the Wi-Fi speeds for select Macs and iPads that support Wi-Fi 6E. Updated Wi-Fi connectivity specifications are listed in Apple's platform deployment guide. The M4 iPad Pro models, M3 iPad Air models, A17 Pro iPad mini, M2 to M5 MacBook Pro models, M2, M3, and M4 MacBook Air models, and other Wi-Fi 6E Macs and iPads now ...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...

Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
68 months ago
It's the same story every year

I've never seen an iPhone launch whose demand was lower than expected
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arn Avatar
68 months ago

It's the same story every year

I've never seen an iPhone launch whose demand was lower than expected
This is specifically about the Pro vs the non-pro. So in this case non-pro demand was lower than expected.

arn
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ilikewhey Avatar
68 months ago
kinda obvious when you jack up the price for 12 by 100 bucks, after matching the storage difference is only 120-150 depending on carrier.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GermanSuplex Avatar
68 months ago
I originally was torn between the pro max and the mini - the mini for the size and how it was quite an upgrade over my XR, but I really like the pro camera features. However, I ended up compromising and going for the 12 pro. I’m just starting on iPhone photography, but the Max Pro is just too big a phone. I love the size of the XR.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
68 months ago
Gonna be a lot of Pacific Blue iPhones out there Lol.

The lineup this year is very good.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pioneer9k Avatar
68 months ago
Upgrading from my X, I would miss the telephoto lens for sure. I also appreciate the brighter screen and more RAM and 128gb. Thats why I went with the Pro
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)