Online Reporter
SAN FRANSISCO. — The Pro iPhone model is always most popular at launch, but a new survey has found that the iPhone 17 Pro is more popular than ever.
The iPhone Air apparently isn’t!
The initial weeks of sale for an iPhone generation are often closely scrutinised by analysts, hoping to work out whether the releases will ultimately be successful.
Based on what JPM reports in a note to investors seen by AppleInsider, it’s a very good year for Apple.Consumer interest is high in the United States relative to the release of the iPhone 16 family last year, the note reads, albeit with marginally softer demand in China. Approximately 71percent of consumers in a survey said they were looking to purchasing a new iPhone in 2025, versus 68percent in 2024 and 63% in 2023.
In China, the figure dips slightly to a still robust 90percent .As for what consumers want to buy from the range, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the most popular model with a 33percent share, followed by the iPhone 17 Pro with 22percent. This is followed by the standard iPhone 17, which secured 20percent of the vote.
Overall, there continues to be a preference for the Pro models over the non-Pro, as usual. The aggregate popularity of the Pro models is 72percent for the iPhone 17 range, while that figure hit 64percent in the iPhone 16 range.
While the survey discusses the iPhone 17 range relative to the iPhone 16, AppleInsider noticed an oddity in the form of no references to the iPhone Air at all.
While the Pro models continuing to sell highly makes sense, discussions about the non-Pro iPhone 17 should be considered more carefully.
JPM said in the report that the preference for the base iPhone 17 model is higher than the base iPhone 16 model, especially in China. This doesn’t quite make sense given the Pro discussion, until you consider that the iPhone 16 was accompanied by the iPhone 16 Plus, while the “Plus” model of iPhone 17 was replaced by the entirely new iPhone Air.
There is no mention of the iPhone Air, or even the word Air at all, in the full report. It was unclear if the Air was factored into the results of the survey.
AppleInsider asked for clarification and was told that the iPhone Air actually was part of the survey. However, it didn’t get enough of a share to count as one of the top five preferred models among consumers, so was left out of the report.
As an example, for the question “Which iPhone are you looking to purchase?” the iPhone Air got a 2percent share overall, with US and China-specific responses also being 2percent for that model.
When it comes to upgrades for existing iPhone users, approximately 82percent identified as such say they were looking at possibly getting a new iPhone in 2025. This is slightly up from the 79percent reported for 2024.
This sentiment grew more in the United States, which saw the percentage grow from 73percent to 78percent . In China, the sentiment was “relatively modest,” but that was because it grew from an already high 97percent in 2024 to 98percent in 2025.
Upgraders are also leaning towards securing Pro models, with the Pro Max at 36% of the total, Pro at 20percent , and the standard iPhone 17 at 20percent . In total, 73percent of upgrading existing iPhone owners were looking towards getting the Pro, versus 67percent for the iPhone 16 series. -Appleinsider
