We all know the drill: Every year, Apple introduces a new iPhone, and eager buyers rush to pick it up.

At least, that’s how it normally goes. But this year, the older model iPhone 7 is enjoying a new sales bump while the new iPhone 8 line isn’t flying off shelves at the pace of its predecessors, according to an analyst report Monday.

The iPhone 7’s sales are stronger than they were for the iPhone 6 when the iPhone 7 came out, according to the report by KeyBank Capitol Markets analyst John Vinh. The report was based on surveys from carrier stores.

At first blush, it seems odd that an older phone would get a sales boost when there’s a new phone out there. But it makes sense for a few reasons. The survey results indicate that more people are interested in buying older iPhones at a cheaper price than in the past. The iPhone 7 just got a price cut, which works for people opting to pass on paying more for the new iPhone 8 features such as wireless charging or the upgraded camera.

The trend around the iPhone 7 appears to reflect a broader notion that consumers aren’t upgrading to the latest smartphone as frequently as they have in the past, perhaps because fewer must-have features are being added to each generation. Analysts have signaled this upgrade shift for years.


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