The first iPhone became a near-overnight success – but new research suggests that the iPhone 17 could be the most popular generation in the entire series.
According to market research firm Counterpoint, more than $170 billion of iPhone 17s sold were in its first year, which is the highest first-year revenue in the iPhone’s entire history. (That's about £125.8 billion / AU$238.4 billion / CA$236.9 billion.)
Looking at the iPhone 17 in terms of revenue may not quite indicate which generation of iPhone is the most popular as well as the number of smartphones sold – after all, the base model iPhone 17 costs nearly twice what the 4GB iPhone cost in 2007.
The base model iPhone has launched at a similar list price for the last five years – though the Pro and Pro Max models in the 17 came with a price jump. Counterpoint’s data suggests that the iPhone 17 series generated 11 percent more revenue than the iPhone 16.
The data echoes what Apple said earlier this year, calling the iPhone 17 the “most popular” model in its entire history, as Apple posted double-digit sales growth back in April.
The details on the iPhone 17’s first year of sales couldn’t have come at a more interesting time. Apple has now announced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, and the first folding version, the iPhone Duo.
Ahead of Apple’s fall events, analysts predicted the rising cost of memory would impact costs – but that prediction came true for both the fresh models and the older iPhone 17. Both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max sit at a higher price point than their predecessors, but the price on the base model iPhone 17, as well as the 17e and iPhone Air, also increased this month.
In the US, the base model iPhone 17 now costs about $100 more than it did at launch, with a similar £100 increase in the UK. That’s the first time in five years that the base model iPhone has increased in price.
While Apple launched the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, Apple’s fall launch event did not come with a new base model iPhone 18, which leaves the earlier iPhone 17 still a current option.
This comes after John Ternus takes over the role of Apple CEO, following Tim Cook’s 15 years in the role.
The iPhone will turn 20 years old in the fall of 2027. The success of the iPhone 17, along with the newly launched features like a variable-aperture camera and the company’s first folding device, will make that particular milestone even more interesting to watch.
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