Apple’s iPhone 17 series generated more than $170 billion in wholesale revenue in its first year, making it the company’s highest-earning iPhone lineup to date, according to Counterpoint Research.
The revenue was 11 per cent higher than the iPhone 16 series recorded during its first year, driven by strong demand for the lineup, particularly the base iPhone 17 and the Pro Max model.
Counterpoint Research’s Global Handset Model Sales Tracker found that the stronger performance was also supported by an increase in smartphone replacement activity.
Its revenue increased 1.3 times compared with its predecessor during the first year. It also emerged as the world’s best-selling smartphone by unit sales in the first half of 2026.
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max ranked second and third respectively.
Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research, said Apple’s decision to bring features previously reserved for Pro models to the base iPhone helped broaden the lineup’s appeal.
“The iPhone 17 series stands out as Apple’s strongest lineup in years,” Pathak said.
He said the lineup attracted both consumers upgrading from older iPhones and existing Pro users looking for improvements in processing power and camera performance.
The iPhone 17e, the cheapest model in the series, also recorded strong demand.
China was the biggest contributor to the iPhone 17 series’ revenue growth.
Counterpoint said wholesale revenue from the lineup in China rose 35 per cent compared with the iPhone 16 series. China accounted for nearly 24 per cent of the iPhone 17 series’ global revenue.
The research firm attributed much of the growth to upgrades to the base iPhone 17.
Japan, the Middle East and Africa, and other Asia-Pacific markets also recorded strong growth.
Demand across these markets helped offset more moderate growth in mature markets such as North America and Europe.
Apple also benefited from keeping iPhone prices relatively stable while smartphone component costs increased.
Shilpi Jain, senior research analyst at Counterpoint Research, said the price difference between Apple’s flagship iPhones and Android competitors had narrowed.
“Memory prices have quadrupled since Q4 2025,” Jain said.
She noted that several Android manufacturers had responded to higher memory and component costs by increasing prices for existing and new devices or adjusting specifications.
Apple, however, maintained relatively stable iPhone prices.
Installment plans and promotional offers in major markets also helped lower the upfront cost of higher-end iPhones, supporting demand for the Pro models.
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max alongside its first foldable iPhone in September 2026.
The standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are expected to follow in 2027.
Counterpoint Research expects the addition of an ultra-premium foldable iPhone to increase Apple’s overall average selling price.
The later launch of lower-priced models could also help Apple broaden its iPhone portfolio and sustain sales momentum into the next product cycle.
The research firm expects Apple to be one of the major companies driving growth in the global foldable smartphone market.