CIRP data shows 2017 iPhone models selling strong

Jan 23, 2018 08:33 GMT  ·  By

New statistics provided by CIRP reveal that while the 2017 lineup of iPhone models is selling strong, the iPhone X is still not the leading model, with iPhone 8 and 8 Plus getting the biggest share in Q4.

The research performed on US data reveals that iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X combined accounted for 61% of all iPhone sales during the quarter, which means the new lineup hasn’t managed to match iPhone 7’s 72% share in the same period of 2016.

On the other hand, both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus sold well, accounting for nearly a quarter of all sales in the United States, but figures are declining indicating decreasing demand for these older models.

Bigger iPhones accounting for half of all sales

What’s important, however, is that iPhone X performed strongly despite the constrained supply and the November 3 launch date, and it is expected to become the number one iPhone in terms of sales for the current quarter.

As for the reasons the new iPhones failed to match the sales performance of the 2016 lineup, it’s likely that the delay impacting the iPhone X is partly to blame. Apple launched the iPhone X on November 3, more than a month after the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus hit the shelves, due to a delay caused by production issues.

The complex nature of some parts, like the Face ID facial recognition system, affected the manufacturing process and caused low yield rates, with Apple aligning production with demand in late December.

Another highlight of Q4 sales is that nearly half of the iPhones sold during the quarter were Plus models or the iPhone X, which means Apple customers are migrating towards screens bigger than 4.7 inches.

That should be good news for Apple given plans for the new-generation iPhone, which is expected to include three different models, with screens between 5.8 inches and 6.4 inches for a Plus-sized iPhone X.