Apple’s iPhone 17 Sales Open to Strong Demand for Pro Models
(Bloomberg) — For the past four years, some Apple Inc. customers have been waiting for a significant redesign before buying a new iPhone. The time has come for those consumers, with the iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone Air going on sale Friday.
It’s the first time since 2020 that Apple has rolled out several new phone designs. Alongside the new handsets, it also released into stores the Apple Watch SE, Watch Series 11, Watch Ultra 3 and AirPods Pro 3.
Most Read from Bloomberg
The new phones, which bring a fresh look in addition to battery life and camera improvements, attracted long lines at Apple stores from Hong Kong to London to New York to Los Angeles. At the Fifth Avenue location in Manhattan, a line for walk-ins — people who hadn’t preordered a device to pick up — wrapped around the block, extending to Madison Avenue. Multiple shoppers interviewed by Bloomberg News indicated they were upgrading belatedly from Apple’s four-year-old iPhone 13 series.
Apple’s newest line of iPhone’s went on sale around the globe. CEO Tim Cook was at the flagship store in New York City to greet customers early Friday morning. The iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone Air all have been redesigned and upgraded. Bloomberg’s Caroline Hyde reports from the Apple store in Manhattan.Source: Bloomberg
In Frankfurt, Germany, about 100 people were gathered around midday, including some people who had traveled long distances.
Julia Sowden, an online creator, said she had trekked about 100 kilometers (62 miles) to Frankfurt to get the iPhone 17 Pro Max in orange. She was replacing her iPhone 13 Pro Max, whose battery had seen better days. “I’m actually an influencer, so it’s very important to have the best camera and the longest battery life,” she said, adding that the lengthy trip was worth securing the device the day it went on sale. “Then it wouldn’t have been until October 12. That would have taken too long for me.”
Indeed, the majority of customers interviewed by Bloomberg were planning to buy an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max, not necessarily the superthin iPhone Air. The Pro, and particularly the Pro Max, are aimed at power users including early adopters and tech enthusiasts — precisely the sort of people who might be motivated to line up in front of a store around dawn.
At New York’s Fifth Avenue Apple store, few shoppers mentioned the Air. The iPhone 17 Pro Max was mostly sold out at that location, with additional inventory for the iPhone 17 Pro and Air.
As Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook greeted customers lined up at the Fifth Avenue store, protesters from a group called Design It For Us assembled near the entrance. The group is focused on advocating for policies to protect young people online, according to its website.
Customers collect their pre-ordered purchases at the Apple Sanlitun store in Beijing on Sept. 19.Photographer: Andrea Verdelli/Bloomberg
Earlier Friday, a small crowd assembled in Hong Kong at Apple’s flagship store to check out the new handsets, and stock for walk-in purchases was similarly limited only to the iPhone Air.
A Major Redesign
The new Pro editions return the iPhone to an aluminum shell and have a redesigned back, while the iPhone Air is Apple’s first attempt at a radically different design with its thin silhouette as the main selling point.
A customer compares iPhones at the Apple Store in Beijing.Photographer: Andrea Verdelli/Bloomberg
The stakes are high for Apple. The company faces lofty expectations from Wall Street for holiday period sales, despite global economic concerns and the threat of future price increases due to tariffs. The Cupertino, California-based electronics giant is also trying to convince consumers its mojo is back after its artificial intelligence strategy fell flat.
The new models’ reception in China will be of great importance to the company. Sales in the region fell 6% in the weeks leading up to the new device family launch, marking a steeper-than-usual slump. After years of success in the region over the past decade, Apple now only holds 12% of the local market, trailing Oppo, Huawei Technologies Co., Xiaomi Corp. and others.
The launch of the new iPhone lineup — a product that debuted in 2007 — hits as Meta Platforms Inc. and others are moving on to AI-powered wearables, including smart glasses with displays. The new models also land weeks after Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Samsung Electronics Co. rolled out upgrades to their flagship smartphones.
Samsung, in particular, is a threat to the iPhone’s dominance. It launched a seventh-generation version of its book-style foldable phone, which appears to be a hit with consumers due to its more durable frame and thinner look. Apple won’t have a foldable phone until the end of next year, Bloomberg has reported.
The iPhone 17 Pro line is resonating most with buyers because it improves the features that people most want in a new phone: battery life, camera technology and durability. It’s also priced from $1,099, only $100 more than the iPhone 16 Pro it replaces.
A customer with new purchases at the Apple Store in Mumbai.Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg
“Prices are being really increased for the first time in several years, so if we see a typical replacement cycle with higher prices, plus some progress on AI, that may not be an exciting setup for the stock, but it’s a decent one,” said John Belton, portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, which has $33 billion in assets under management.
The iPhone Air, on the other hand, may not drive sales despite the attention it will receive. The $999 device focuses on a thin profile, but has drawbacks in battery life, audio and cameras. It’s also the same price as a 17 Pro when factoring in an optional magnetic battery attachment to increase endurance.
Earlier this year, Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge, using a similar concept to Apple’s iPhone Air. Thus far, it’s been a sales dud.
–With assistance from Jacob Reid.
(Updates with additional reporting starting in the second paragraph.)
Leave a Comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *