The latest global iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max sales estimates are a 'mixed' bag
As if Apple didn't have enough problems handling iPhone Duo durability concerns, the company's latest non-foldable devices are apparently not selling well in many key regions.
While Apple's first-ever foldable handset has received by far the most media attention following its early September announcement for pretty obvious reasons, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max were naturally always expected to (easily) outsell the iPhone Duo.
A 3.1 percent improvement is obviously not earth-shattering, but it's also clearly better than no improvement at all. | Image by Counterpoint Research
The iPhone 17 Pro Max, remember, became the world's best-selling handset in its first full quarter on the market, followed by the base iPhone 17 and the 17 Pro in the bronze medal position. As such, it's definitely remarkable to hear that the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max have managed to boost the early shipment figures of their predecessors by 3.1 percent around the world.
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Are the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max everything they could have been?
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That's obviously not some historic progress, and it can mainly be attributed to a single nation, but it's growth when so few companies and product lineups can boast such numbers, and said nation just so happens to be the world's largest smartphone market. Yes, the iPhone 18 Pro duo apparently sold 29 percent better than the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max during the two families' respective first three weeks in Chinese stores while dropping by a very concerning 27 percent in Japan. Luckily, Japan is a much smaller market than China.
The US numbers are almost unchanged
... and that's not really a bad thing. It's clearly not a great thing for Apple, but once again, you have to consider the market's overall declines this year compared to 2025, the exceptional regional performance of the iPhone 17 Pro duo around this time last year, and perhaps most importantly, the higher prices of the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max.
The US very clearly remains Apple's best global market. | Image by Counterpoint Research
All in all, it's definitely fair to call the start of Apple's newest non-foldable handsets "mixed", especially in markets like the US, but things could have clearly gone much worse, especially given all the attention (both positive and negative) absorbed by the iPhone Duo of late.
It's unclear, by the way, if the iPhone Duo release will indirectly boost 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max demand or "cannibalise" the sales of the latter model, which is no longer viewed as the pinnacle of Apple's innovation by many of the company's long-time users and hardcore fans. Then again, at least the iPhone 18 Pro Max is unlikely to catastrophically break after just a few hours of use.
What about the "standard" iPhone 18?
That, my friends and dear readers, remains the billion-dollar question, as the non-Pro iPhone 17 proved the world's top seller in both Q1 and Q2 2026. Clearly, the same will not be true for the non-Pro iPhone 18 as early as Q1 2027, as the handset is only expected to see daylight towards the end of next year's opening quarter.
The hugely successful iPhone 17 is only expected to get a sequel next year. | Image by PhoneArena
That doesn't mean the base iPhone 18 is not expected to sell like hotcakes once it finally comes out, but it's still hard to say if Apple's revised launch schedule will ultimately work in favor of the entire family (as well as the iPhone Duo and the iPhone Air 2).
For the time being, the Cupertino-based tech giant can probably be satisfied to see the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max improve (albeit marginally) the early sales of the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, and with the help of significantly higher prices, undoubtedly boost those profit scores too.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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