iPhone 17 Sparks Buying Frenzy, Analyst Reports

Key Insights

• Sales Performance: Pre-orders for the iPhone 17 series are reportedly stronger than those for the iPhone 16 last year.
• Model Popularity: The iPhone 17 Pro Max is experiencing the highest demand among the new models.
• iPhone Air: Demand for the iPhone Air appears to be lagging compared to the iPhone 16 Plus during the same timeframe.
• Production Factors: Apple is producing the iPhone Air at a significantly higher volume than the iPhone 16 Plus, which may affect perceived demand.

Apple’s new iPhones are selling well in pre-orders, though data is less clear for one particular model.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared his thoughts on the demand for Apple’s new iPhone lineup on X on Monday. According to Kuo, the pre-order demand for the iPhone 17 series during the first weekend of pre-orders was “better than that of the iPhone 16 last year.”

The most expensive model — the powerful iPhone 17 Pro Max — is reportedly in the highest demand, but the other iPhone 17 variants appear to be doing well, too.

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As for Apple’s new iPhone Air, it doesn’t seem to be doing too well, per Kuo, though even the analyst himself acknowledges that it’s too early to tell. He says that the demand for the iPhone Air “appears to be lower than that of the iPhone 16 Plus in the same period last year,” judging by Apple shipping times. But the production volume of the iPhone Air was reportedly about three times that of the iPhone 16 Plus in comparable periods of the year, which means that the iPhone Air might actually be selling really well; it’s just that Apple is making more of them.

“Therefore, it is more objective to observe demand after a period of sales,” concludes Kuo.

Apple’s new iPhones were launched last Tuesday at the company’s annual September launch event, and became available for pre-order on Friday. They will be available in stores on Friday, Sept. 19.