Data shows U.S. iPhone buyers choosing base amount of storage returns to normal levels

Data shows U.S. iPhone buyers choosing base amount of storage returns to normal levels،

According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, CIRP, two factors determine the average selling price (ASP) of the iPhone. One is the popularity of different models. Increased sales of the more expensive Pro models compared to the non-Pro variants will increase the ASP of the iPhone for that particular launch year. The other factor that contributes to iPhone ASP in a given year is the amount of storage capacity of the most popular models purchased by consumers.

CIRP calculates what it calls the U.S. Weighted Average Retail Price (WARP). This takes into account not only the iPhone models purchased by US consumers during the September quarter, when new iPhone models are traditionally launched, but also the decisions consumers make whether or not to pay for a unit with additional storage compared to the base model.

Based on data recently published by the CIRP, the number of iPhone buyers who bought a new iPhone with more than the base amount of storage peaked at 59% in the September 2021 quarter, a result that could have been affected by the pandemic. At that time, iPhone buyers wanted extra storage space in case they needed it for remote work or to download video games and streaming entertainment.

The percentage of US iPhone buyers purchasing a model with more base storage than the base storage amount at launch has returned to normal. Data shows that US iPhone buyers choosing the base amount of storage are returning to normal levels.

The percentage of U.S. iPhone buyers purchasing a model with more than the base amount of storage at launch has returned to normal.

Just two years before the record year, data from the September 2019 quarter showed that only 40% of US consumers purchasing a new iPhone model chose to pay the higher price for a version with more than the amount of base storage. The following year, for the September 2020 quarter, 45% of iPhone buyers in the states purchased new iPhones that contained more than the base amount of storage. But since this peak in September 2021, the numbers have returned to normal.

In the September 2022 quarter, 43% of those who purchased a new iPhone model in the US purchased their device with more than the base storage amount and this increased to 44% for the most recent iPhone launch last September. This return to the baseline percentage means that US-WARP for the iPhone has declined as more people in the US purchase cheaper models with the base amount of storage. CIRP reports that US-WARP for iPhone in the September 2023 quarter decreased 4.1% year-over-year to $918.

CIRP says the use of cloud storage and the increase in streaming content have reduced the pressure on new iPhone buyers to purchase new models with more storage than the base amount. to accommodate larger photo galleries, app libraries and music collections. On the other hand, the CIRP notes: “To counter this reduction in pressure, the lengthening of purchase contracts and the tendency to keep phones for longer periods could push buyers to “permanentize” their phones by purchasing extended storage space.