Preorders for the iPhone 17 series are much stronger than those for the iPhone 16

Calling the iPhone 17 series fresh in terms of design would be a stretch, but apparently, people liked what Apple presented last week. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17 preorders are stronger than those of the iPhone 16.

One of the iPhone 17 models is doing much better

During the first weekend of preorders for the iPhone 17 series, the demand outpaced that of the iPhone 16 lineup. Kuo made his estimation based on the shipment delays for the new models and the production targets for the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max.

iPhone 17 Pro: pre-order for as low as $0.00/mo.

$0
/mo

$30
⁵⁶

$31 off (100%)

The powerful iPhone 17 Pro is finally here! You can already pre-order the new Pro with an upgraded design and a brilliant display for as low as $0.00/mo. at AT&T. To get the deal, you must trade in an eligible iPhone in any condition and a suitable plan. The offer is available for new and existing customers.

This offer is not available in your area.

iPhone 17 Pro Max: pre-order for $2.78/mo.

$2
⁷⁸
/mo

$33
³⁴

$31 off (92%)

Trade in an eligible iPhone in any condition, set up a new line on a qualifying AT&T plan or upgrade your current one, and you can get a huge discount on the impressive iPhone 17 Pro Max. Meeting those requirements will bring the Pro Max to $2.78/mo. from its $33.34 monthly price at AT&T. That saves you up to $1,100 after 36 monthly bill credits.

This offer is not available in your area.

Apple’s estimated delivery times are about a week longer than they were at the same time last week. The production goals for the three iPhone 17 models are 25% higher for the third quarter of this year, compared to the same models in Q3 2024. Seeing a longer estimated delivery time despite the higher production output suggests higher demand for those three models.

The best-seller is once again the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Despite the 60% increase in production compared to last year, the lead time for the new model is similar.

That’s a welcome change after the unsatisfactory results during the first weekend of iPhone 16 preorders. Then, the Pro models saw a decline, while the base and Plus models recorded growth.

The iPhone Air is a bit of an unknown

Apple’s goal with the iPhone Air was to triple the production compared to the iPhone 16 Plus last year, so its availability cannot be taken as a good sign of how well it’s selling. Kuo notes that a fair assessment of its performance requires tracking its sales over a longer period.

Historically, the Plus iPhones were the least successful models in Apple’s lineup, which is also why they were discontinued. An important caveat for the performance of the iPhone Air is that the device isn’t available in China because it only ships with eSIM, which isn’t widely embraced in the country.

Of course, good phones sell well

Apple didn’t reinvent the wheel with the iPhone 17 lineup, but it introduced enough improvements to spark interest. The base iPhone 17 is probably the best year-over-year upgrade the iPhone has seen in a long time, and the Pro models have a new look, which always sparks interest. 

As controversial as it may be, the iPhone Air is the only “new” model this year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it also does well. Yeah, Apple Intelligence is still nowhere to be seen, but this year, Apple is offering fantastic hardware, which is what people seem to want.