Apple chimes in on iPhone XR sales but offers no specifics

Apple mixed things up with now fewer than three new iPhones this year — all of them incorporating Face ID and the iPhone X design language.

Amid several reports of Apple lowering orders for iPhones components, the tech giant is finally chiming in. Speaking to CNET, Apple Vice President of Product Marketing Greg Joswiak says the iPhone XR has "been our most popular iPhone each and every day since the day it became available."

Joswiak seems to be saying the iPhone XR has outsold the iPhone XS and XS Max since its launch on Oct. 26 (and probably the older iPhones as well). That's not a complete shock: The iPhone XR is the "cheaper" iPhone at $749, but it incorporates almost all of the features of its more expensive brothers.

However, while the iPhone XR may be outselling the other 2018 iPhones, we don't know if iPhone sales overall are down. And we won't know, since in its last earnings call Apple said it would no longer release specific sales figures for the iPhone going forward. The brief statement also doesn't touch on any of the specific production cut reports.

In short the iPhone XR could still be selling poorly when looked at in a historical context and still be the "most popular" iPhone today. Another clue that iPhone sales may not be that great: Apple just increased the amount of money it would credit customers who trade in an older iPhone when they upgrade to an iPhone XR, XS, or XS Max.

Like the new rule about not disclosing sales numbers, the public comment is mostly an attempt by Apple to control the narrative around the product that provides about 60 percent of the company's revenue.