'Significantly lower than expected' iPhone 14 Plus pre-orders suggest Apple's strategy of ditching the 'mini' for a larger version of the new phone is a failure, says renowned Apple analyst

The company's pre-orders for the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus point to a failure in its product-segmentation strategy according to a renowned Apple analyst.

The new iPhones were announced last week. They became available for pre-order on September 9 and the new phones will be available on September 16. There is a delay in the availability of the iPhone 14 Plus.

Pre-order numbers for the devices are not available from Apple. An analyst with a strong track record of predicting future Apple developments looked at early indicators of pre-orders for the current iPhone lineup to get a sense of demand.

The iPhone 13 base models were available in standard and "mini" device sizes, but Apple decided to offer the base model in a standard and larger " Plus" version.

He said the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro are showing good and neutral results. Pre-orders for the two standard models are not good.

"This new product's pre-order result is significantly lower than expected, which means Apple's product segment strategy for standard models fails this year," he said.

An Apple spokesman didn't reply to Insider's request for comment.

Stock of the two new phones will be available in retail stores when they are released. The delivery time for the iPhone 14 and 14 plus is shorter than the estimated arrival time for the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, according to an analysis done by Taiwan's top analyst.

Apple will likely cut shipment forecasts for the two phones in November if demand doesn't improve. The company's revenue could be thrown off if that happens.