Analysts: lead times for iPhone 14 series drop below that for iPhone 13 in the same period

The iPhone 14 series first became available six weeks ago and the analysts at JP Morgan have been tracking the lead times for all four models during that time (publishing the data on the Apple Product Availability Tracker). The lead times are how long it takes between placing an order and receiving the phone.

For the first time since launch the iPhone 14 series delivery times have dipped below those for the iPhone 13 series in the same period of availability. It’s not quite a like-for-like comparison, however, since last year the supply chain was under more stress.

The analysts report that the iPhone 14 Pro Max (the most popular model in the series) delivery times have almost equalized those of the smaller 14 Pro. Meanwhile the demand for the vanilla iPhone 14 is described as “modest”.

Below are the lead times for the four iPhones, plus the new Apple Watch models:

Note that the iPhone 14 Plus launched three weeks after its siblings, so it is relatively new to the market.

The analysts at JP Morgan are also tracking the demand in various regions. In the US the two Pro models take 32 days each (the Pro Max was at 39 days last week). The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are also equal, but at a brisk 3 days – much lower than the iPhone 13 and 13 mini were early on (11 days).

In China delivery times are even shorter – 22 and 29 days for the Pro and Pro Max, respectively, and just 1 day for the 14 and 14 Plus (compared to 12 days for the 13 and 13 mini).

The markets in the UK and Germany tell the same story – demand for the Pro and Pro Max has equalized, the 14 and 14 Plus have next-day delivery (vs. over a week for the 13 and 13 mini).

Production is catching up to the demand for the new watches too, the Apple Watch Series 8, Watch Ultra and Watch SE (2022). The premium Ultra model takes the longest at 24 days (down from 25 days).

Finally, the lead times for the AirPods Pro 2 has dropped to 2 days, down from 3 days a week ago.

If you are wondering whether these numbers are good or bad for Apple, JP Morgan is forecasting a record-breaking fourth quarter for Apple with a revenue of $90 billion, so the answer seems to be “good”.