Apple is about to report its worst iPhone sales ever

Apple is expected to report that iPhone sales increased by only slightly more than 1% during the holiday shopping season. If that number holds true it will mark the slowest period of iPhone growth during a holiday season.

Analysts say the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are facing weak demand, despite a record setting week following both devices’ initial release.

Experts believe Apple has not done enough to distinguish each model from its predecessor, leading to a lack of consume demand for the current iPhone models.

“Apple has become a victim of their own success as the blockbuster iPhone 6 product cycle was hard to replicate as many customers are either buying an older, cheaper iPhone 6 or waiting for the iPhone 7,” FBR Capital Markets analyst Daniel Ives said.

Apple is likely to report slower than expected sales in China as the country battled through a market collapse in November and December 2015.

Analysts estimate Apple sold 75.5 million iPhones in the October-December quarter, a 1.3% increase from a year earlier, according to research firm FactSet StreetAccount.

The slowest growth in quarterly iPhone sales to date was 6.8% in the second quarter of fiscal 2013, according to data from Statista.

Making matters worse, Apple is expected to sell 54.6 million iPhones in the March 2016 quarter. The company sold 61.2 million iPhones between January and March, 2015.

Apple could soon find itself banking on some big new traits for the iPhone 7. Rumors have pointed to a waterproof device that focuses on wireless headphones and perhaps even the removal of the traditional home button.

Apple shares closed down 1.98% at $99.41 on Monday. Apple share are down about 10% since October.