Apple iPhone 17 Pro models account for over half of early sales; as per the report, here are the second and third best selling among the latest iPhones
New sales data shared by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) suggests that buyers are increasingly gravitating toward Apple’s highest-end iPhones, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max emerging as the single most popular model in the lineup.
According to the report, the iPhone 17 Pro Max accounts for 27% of early iPhone 17 series sales, followed closely by the iPhone 17 Pro at 25%. Combined, Apple’s Pro models now represent 52% of total early sales, marking a noticeable increase compared to the iPhone 16 generation, where the Pro and Pro Max together made up 39% of purchases.
By comparison, the standard iPhone 17 sits at 22%, continuing to play a strong role as the mainstream option in the lineup. However, the data also highlights Apple’s ongoing struggle to position a fourth model successfully. The iPhone Air, despite significant attention during the launch cycle, accounts for just 6% of early sales, underperforming the iPhone 16 Plus, which captured 8% during the same period last year.
Looking back at the iPhone 16 series for context, the iPhone 16 Pro Max led sales with 23%, followed by the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, both at 21% and 16%, respectively. The shift seen with the iPhone 17 generation suggests that buyers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for Apple’s top-tier models, even as design and material changes remain a point of debate. But as we have already seen, the aluminium chassis and the new vapour chamber in the iPhone 17 Pro series do offer superior thermal performance, especially when it comes to gaming.
The data indicates that features typically associated with the Pro lineup, such as larger displays, more advanced camera systems, and longer battery life, continue to outweigh considerations like thinness or mid-tier positioning for a significant portion of buyers. Meanwhile, Apple’s attempts to create an additional high-end option below the Pro tier appear to be resonating with a much smaller audience.
While CIRP’s figures reflect early sales rather than long-term performance, the trend shows a pattern Apple has seen for several generations: strong demand concentrated around the Pro and Pro Max models, steady interest in the base iPhone, and inconsistent traction for alternative variants designed to sit in between.
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