For those who came in late, Jobs Mob thought it would be a wizard wheeze to release an iPhone with very few new features other than a promise of something called Apple Intelligence, which was like AI, only more stupid.  

However, it seems that even the idiots who make up Apple’s fanbase did not fall for the hype this time.  Preorders for Apple’s latest iPhone iterations began last Friday, and some analysts' early tally does not paint a positive picture.

In a social media post late Sunday, TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that iPhone 16 preorders were 37 million units, down 12.7 per cent from the iPhone 15 first-week preorders. The year-over-year drop is due to lower-than-expected demand for the iPhone 16 Pro series. The analyst based his data on the latest supply chain survey and pre-order results from Apple's official websites.

Kuo said that part of the reason sales were so bad was that users expected to see Apple Intelligence on board, having been told by the Tame Apple Press that it was the bees knees. Not only was it not on board, but those who had seen it in action said it sounded like a loud yawn.

Kuo said that the days when Apple could put out a disappointing phone with few new features were gone, and there was now intense competition in China, especially from Huawei and other home-grown rivals.

China is still Apple’s key market, but its economic issues mean that Apple’s fanboys are selective about their purchases.

The extent of the fall can be seen in the picture. This also comes on Warren Buffet’s moves off to load more than half of his Apple shares.  It is like he knew something was going to happen.