The iPhone 17 series has one big winner, according to early sales – and it isn’t the iPhone Air

• A report claims the iPhone 17 is selling much better than the iPhone 17
• The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are also proving to be popular
• The iPhone Air remains ‘niche,’ despite outselling the iPhone 16 Plus

The iPhone Air is the fresh new face of Apple's iPhone 17 lineup, but according to some recent sales figures it's far from the most popular model. That honor goes to its Pro-level siblings, yet one model this year has made a particularly big impressions on buyers – the base iPhone 17.

According to analysts at Counterpoint Research, the iPhone 17 series is a lot more popular than its iPhone 16 predecessors, with sales increasing 14% over last year’s model in its first 10 days of availability in the US and China.

The picture is even better when you focus on the base model in China, where Apple has sold nearly double the number of iPhone 17 handsets compared to the iPhone 16. That suggests that users are flocking to the entry-level model and see it as a more enticing option than last year’s equivalent. Combined US and China data also shows that, while the base iPhone 16 comprised 19% of the series' sales last year, for the base iPhone 17 that's jumped to 22%.

At the same time, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max account for the bulk of iPhone 17-series sales, Counterpoint Research claims. This could be because carriers have offered increasingly generous subsidies to entice customers to upgrade.

The iPhone Air, meanwhile, is off to a modest start, with the research claiming that its short pre-order period and high price compared to the iPhone 17 makes it a “niche” choice for now. Yet Counterpoint Research also asserts that the iPhone Air is slightly more popular than the iPhone 16 Plus was, implying that Apple might have been right to ditch the Plus edition and replace it with the Air.

Great value for money

Part of the reason for the iPhone 17’s popularity could be its suite of upgrades compared to the iPhone 16. It has a faster chip, improved display, increased storage and a better front-facing camera. At the same time, the price remains the same, making it an attractive choice that’s better value for money than ever.

On the other hand, the iPhone Air’s struggles could be down to how close it is in price to the iPhone 17 Pro – just $100 separates the two models. While it has a much thinner and lighter frame, it also lacks the high-end chip and sophisticated camera system that you find in the iPhone 17 Pro.

Across the board, the iPhone 17 series seems to be selling pretty well, with the iPhone 17 and Pro-level devices leading the way. While the iPhone Air isn’t exactly struggling, it doesn’t appear to be flying off the shelves either – and that’s something we’ve heard before.

There’s some hope for Apple in the fact that the iPhone Air isn’t expected to be available in China until late October. While there’s no doom and gloom yet, Apple will surely be hoping it ends up being more popular there than it has been elsewhere.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

You might also like

• The Apple iPhone Air is the sexiest iPhone I’ve ever tested – it's really a new kind of Pro
• The iPhone 17 series is reportedly selling well – but one model is lagging behind
• I ditched my new iPhone 17 Pro for the iPhone Air, and for the first time in years Apple has blown me away