The new iPhone SE isn't seeing much enthusiasm at US wireless carrier stores, according to a new report from research firm Wave7.
The firm surveys salespeople at US carrier stores to get a picture of the market, which is very carrier-dominated. In its latest survey, 56% of reps said that iPhone SE demand is weaker this year than it was for the previous iPhone SE; only 8% said demand is stronger.
Apple doesn't seem that enthusiastic about the phone either, the report says. "Wave7 Research is unaware of any TV, radio, outdoor or print advertising for the device," it said, and one Verizon rep told the firm "not many people know it came out."
Another store rep said the phone's small size may be a factor in its slow sales. Apple seems to be getting that message company-wide: after an intense two-year experiment with smaller phones, Apple may be giving up on its iPhone mini line, reports have said, with the iPhone 14 not expected to have a "mini" model.
In the US, the iPhone SE may yet have a savior: prepaid. Although "Apple share is low at prepaid," the report says, "customers tend to opt for the iPhone SE and iPhone 11." Metro, Boost, and Cricket all have iPhone SE offers, the report says.
The SE's major markets may actually be outside the US. In India, the new SE will boost sales there from 5.4 million units in 2021 to 7.5 million in 2022, according to India's Business Today publication.
Apple has a lot more room to grow in India than it does in the US. Wave7 says that Apple had a 60-62% market share at the three major US carriers in March 2022. But Apple has a mere 4.4% market share in India, Business Today says. Apple has been shifting some production to India in part to take advantage of "made in India" tariff discounts, and now makes models in both the SE and iPhone 13 lines in India, Reuters reports.
Google Giving Big Kickbacks for Pixels
The Google Pixel 6 line also isn't doing well, with reports of bugs and performance issues helping to limit the market to "diehard" Pixel fans, according to one rep in the Wave7 survey.
Google has resorted to "spiffs" to juice up Pixel sales at Verizon. That's the industry word for kickbacks to salespeople. It's normal in the industry—Samsung does it too—but Google has jacked up the levels "very high," Wave7 says.
Outside Verizon, there seems to be nearly no interest in the Pixel line, the report says. In a real blow to the Pixel's differentiation, one rep told Wave7 that he's sold Pixels to people who came in looking for Galaxy S22 models when Samsung's flagship line was sold out.
Google's next chance will come with the midrange Pixel 6a, which may come out in May.