The masses have spoken: iPhone 17 pre-orders are off the charts
Despite the internet's complaints about the iPhone 17 redesigns, Apple's newest flagship phones are smashing pre-order records, and leaving the iPhone 16 in the dust.
These last few months leading up to the release of the iPhone 17 series have been full of people in online circles loudly declaring their dislike for the redesign. Turns out, that may just have been a very vocal minority, as iPhone 17 pre-orders are off the charts. At least in China, according to an industry insider from the country.
The iPhone 16 series struggled in China. A lot. The lack of Apple Intelligence — which was marketed as the main reason to get the new iPhone — as well as strong competition from domestic brands meant that Apple was in trouble.
Did you get an iPhone 16 last year?
Yes, as soon as I could
25.42%
Nope, waited for something better
38.98%
Going to get one now!
5.08%
Not an iPhone user
30.51%
As such, the company had to do something drastic, something that it almost never does: it sold the iPhone 16 series at a discount. The iPhone immediately became a lot more popular in China after this move, and that popularity has now made its way to the iPhone 17.
Despite the redesign of the iPhone 17 Pro, pre-orders for Apple’s newest flagship smartphone lineup are already triple than pre-orders for the iPhone 16 series were, and it’s only going up.
As of now, the pre-order volume for the iPhone 17 series on major Chinese e-commerce platforms has already reached three times that of the iPhone 16 series. pic.twitter.com/E8kszpUpZf
Clearly, the new redesign isn’t as unpopular as many people made it out to be online. Furthermore, the iPhone 17 series is different, and doesn’t rely on a gimmick that the entire region of China still hasn’t gotten its hands on. However, there’s very likely another reason for the success of the iPhone 17 in the country.
iPhone 17 looks like the iPhone 16. | Image credit — Apple
In my opinion, and apparently in other’s opinions as well, the base iPhone 17 is brilliant. Apple has finally made its standard model a force to be reckoned with, and has also kept the design of the outgoing iPhone 16, just in case.
If I had to guess, the base model of the iPhone 17 is probably driving a lot of these pre-orders. It’s new, different, but not too unfamiliar, and it also brings upgrades that Apple fans have been clamoring for for years.
Recommended Stories
The ProMotion display and the anti-reflective coating easily make the base model iPhone 17 one of the best phones of 2025. And, in my opinion, the iPhone Air and the Pro models are also great, and they deserve to smash pre-order records.
"Iconic Phones" is coming this Fall!
Rediscover some of the most unique and memorable phones of the last two decades! "Iconic Phones" is a beautifully illustrated book that we've been working on for over a year - and it's coming out in just a couple short month!
"Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips" is a must-have coffee table book for every phone lover out there. Covering the stories of more than 20 fan-favorite phones, it takes you on a memorable journey through the technological revolution that shaped our lives. Sign up now to secure an early discount price!
Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: