Apple continues iPhone XR sales push with App Store editorial feature

Apple is continuing to promote upgrades to the iPhone XR today with an item in the Today view of the App Store. The editorial describes key features of the iPhone XR and then highlights apps that take advantage of the new hardware like the Face ID sensor or the speed of the A12 chip.

The approach is pretty heavy-handed and continues a recent run of marketing like using the Apple Store app push notification system, ‘limited time’ trade-in offers and ever-growing appeals on its homepage.

Around the times when new phone go up for order, Apple uses featured tiles in the Apps tab to promote using the Apple Store for speedy checkout but this is even more in your face, and comes a whole month after the phone launch hype subsided.

This editorial feature is currently showing in the United States App Store region (thanks Uluroo). The feature is visible for iPhone 8 and iPhone X owners.

The editorial is as much as about advertising the iPhone XR as it is about featuring the apps like Sky Guide, HBO Now, Halide Camera, HomeCourt and Clips. The copy highlights the power of the A12 chip, the security advantages of the Face ID system, the iPhone XR’s camera system, and the better battery life of the iPhone XR (described as up to 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 8).

We aren’t sure if it is meant to be contextually targeted, but readers are showing us that the ‘upgrade to iPhone XR’ story shows up on the iPhone XR itself.

It’s showing on iPhone XR as well… pic.twitter.com/IWGXGhexnR

— developAR ᯅ (@developAR) December 8, 2018

It certainly seems like Apple is conducting a more aggressive marketing strategy for its new phone models, perhaps as a result of weaker sales. AAPL stock is currently down for the year as Apple suppliers report order cuts across the board and investors fear demand for iPhone XS and iPhone XR is low.

Apple will report its holiday results in a quarterly earnings call in January, but has announced that it will no longer report unit sales numbers. In its last earnings call, Apple executives focused on growth in wearables and its services division.