Apple Is Surprised By Strong iPhone 12 Pro Demand

Apple expected the iPhone 12 to be its big seller, but the iPhone 12 Pro is turning out to be the star of the show.

According to a report from Digitimes, Apple may be boosting its orders for the chipset that powers the LiDAR scanner. This LiDAR scanner is part of the camera setup on the already-available iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which will debut in November. 

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Demand for the iPhone 12 Pro has been so strong delivery lead time from manufacturers has had to be extended. And Apple is set to increase orders for VCSEL chips supporting the iPhone 12 Pro’s LiDAR scanner for immersive augmented reality (AR).

Digitimes

This Digitimes report seems to corroborate an earlier report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a report to analysts earlier this week, Kuo noted that the sales split between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro was significantly different from what everyone expected.

The iPhone 12 Pro was supposed to be the less popular handset, but Kuo estimated that customers were buying as many iPhone 12 Pro models as standard iPhone 12 handsets.

What’s the Difference?

The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are very similar in specs. The camera is probably the biggest difference between the two smartphones. The iPhone 12 Pro has a LiDAR scanner and a telephoto lens, both of which are missing on the iPhone 12.

The iPhone 12 Pro also has advanced camera processing, including better autofocus, portrait photos, and Night Mode portraits thanks to the LiDAR scanner.

The iPhone 12 Pro also is available in different colors than the iPhone 12, as well as offering a 512GB storage option that is not found in the iPhone 12.