According to a forecast by JPMorgan, pre-order lead times for the Apple iPhone 17 in the U.S., China, Germany, and the UK are slightly better than those for the iPhone 16. Notably, there has been significant order demand for the standard iPhone 17 and the new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, which analysts identify as a direct successor to last year’s iPhone 16 Plus. Currently, the data indicates that demand is leaning more toward the base models rather than the more expensive Pro versions. However, this does not imply that demand for the high-end models will decrease compared to last year.
Longer delivery lead times suggest higher demand; in the U.S., the leading market accounting for roughly one-third of iPhone shipments, the lead times for the base iPhone 17 and the Air are four and seven days, respectively, while the Pro and Pro Max have lead times of four and 21 days. In contrast, last year during the pre-order week, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus had virtually no wait times, while the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max had lead times of six and 20 days, respectively. The iPhone 17 series was officially launched by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) last week, highlighting the ultra-thin Air model as a response to competitors like Samsung.
However, the sales forecast for the iPhone 17 may be impacted by potential shipping delays in China due to regulatory concerns over its eSIM technology.
