Five weeks after the release of Apple’s iPhone 16 series, demand for the top-tier iPhone 16 Pro Max remains robust, according to the J.P. Morgan Apple Product Availability Tracker. While availability for other iPhone 16 models has gradually improved, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has maintained its high 29-day wait time, signaling ongoing interest from consumers despite its premium price tag.
J.P. Morgan’s data shows that lead times for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have dropped significantly, moving from 4 and 6 days in week four to just 3 days by week five. The iPhone 16 Pro also saw a slight improvement in availability, reducing from 22 days to 21 days. However, the iPhone 16 Pro Max remained at 29 days, showing that demand for Apple’s most advanced and expensive model continues to outpace other variants.
Analysts believe that the slower-than-expected decrease in wait time for the iPhone 16 Pro Max reflects a strong recovery in demand momentum. Initial signs of weaker demand in the first weeks after the launch are now being seen as an anomaly, with consumer interest picking up. This is a departure from previous years, where the Pro Max model's availability tended to improve more rapidly.
In terms of overall availability, the trends for the iPhone 16 series closely resemble those observed with the iPhone 15 lineup. The iPhone 15 also saw similar patterns in lead times during its fifth week after launch, particularly for the Pro and Pro Max models, which tend to have higher demand. The iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max are tracking slightly lower in availability compared to their predecessors, reflecting higher demand for the larger and more powerful options in Apple's lineup.
Looking regionally, in-store pick-up options for the iPhone 16 series show that most variants of the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are now available in stores across the U.S., Germany, and China. However, the iPhone 16 Pro Max continues to be much harder to find for immediate pick-up, particularly in the U.K., where both the Pro and Pro Max models remain in limited supply.
In China, lead times for all iPhone 16 models have improved across the board. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus both dropped from 5 days to just 1 day in week five, while the iPhone 16 Pro decreased from 23 days to 20 days. The iPhone 16 Pro Max, which had a 30-day wait in week four, has now reduced slightly to 26 days, indicating increasing availability but still reflecting higher demand for the premium model in the Chinese market.
Europe also saw some shifts in availability. In Germany, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus both reduced their wait times from 4 and 7 days to 3 days each. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max saw slight increases in wait times, moving from 21 to 22 days for the Pro and from 29 to 31 days for the Pro Max. In the U.K., the lead times remained consistent with week four, with the iPhone 16 Pro at 22 days and the Pro Max at 29 days.
While availability continues to improve for most models, the strong demand for the iPhone 16 Pro Max across multiple regions reflects consumer enthusiasm for Apple's most premium option. As Apple heads into the holiday shopping season, it will be interesting to see whether supply can meet this sustained demand, especially for the Pro Max model, which is poised to be one of the most sought-after tech products of the year.
