The global iPhone production is reported to have set a new record in 4Q21, as Apple managed to balance the huge demand for the iPhone 13 series with a well‑managed supply‑chain operation to minimize the impact of component shortages.
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TrendForce tells us that iPhone production is estimated to have reached 85 million units.
After the unveiling of the iPhone 13 series in September, Apple aggressively began increasing shipments of these new devices to meet market demand. Thanks to rapid sales and marketing rates, Apple was able to take the top spot in the quarterly ranking of smartphone brands by production market share for many quarters, and the fourth quarter of 2021 was no exception.
Aside from maintaining its top position in the brand ranking for the fourth quarter, Apple increased its quarterly iPhone production to a new high record of 85.5 million units, a 66.0% QoQ increase.
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Aside from the demand for iPhone 13 models, the company said that Apple lowering the prices on older models helped.
Regarding pricing strategy, the prices of the new iPhone 13 models were reasonable for consumers, and the price reductions for older iPhone models were also noticeable.
Finally, Apple managed to exploit the gap left by the Chinese company Huawei, whose smartphone division was essentially crippled by import bans in many countries for national security reasons.
Taking over the market share left by Huawei can be seen as the main factor behind Apple's performance in 4Q21. Over time, orders for Huawei's flagship models were gradually replaced by iPhone orders.
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Regarding the annual production, Apple reached 233 million units for 2021, from almost 200 million units in 2020. The growth was mainly attributed to the expansion of Apple’s market share in China from 10% to 16%.
Information source: 9to5mac.com
