IPhone 17 sales in US, China rise 14% in first 10 days: report

Apple’s iPhone 17 series has recorded a stronger launch compared to last year’s model, with sales in the US and China up 14% over the first 10 days, according to Counterpoint Research.

Counterpoint said the entry-level iPhone 17 has seen especially high demand, with sales in China nearly double those of the iPhone 16 base model during the same period.

Analysts at Counterpoint cited improved hardware, more storage, and a new A19 chip as factors behind the rise.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is also performing well in the US, attracting users who last upgraded during the pandemic.

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, continues to generate about half its revenue from iPhone sales.

Chinese consumers are still waiting for the rollout of Apple Intelligence in the country, but strong hardware sales have continued in its main markets.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

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Implications, context, and why it matters.

Early sales surge appears driven by trade-in incentives and aggressive Chinese e-commerce discounting

Counterpoint put iPhone 17 sales 14% above iPhone 16 in the first 10 days. On Pinduoduo, a discount-focused marketplace, prices fell up to CNY900 within a week, with the 256GB iPhone 17 at CNY5,099 versus CNY5,999 on Apple’s site 1.
JD.com, a major Chinese online retailer, said first-minute preorders beat iPhone 16’s first day 2. Trade-ins hit four times last year by 10 a.m. on launch day 3, which implies deals and buybacks lifted early counts.
Steep cuts landed as scalpers lost pricing power in China, where Apple’s luxury aura has faded 1. The pace may be front-loaded and may not hold through Q4 2025.

Refurbishers (companies that restore, resell used phones) and recommerce platforms (marketplaces for pre-owned devices) should prepare for a surge in iPhone 13-15 inventory by December

Trade-in programs sent $1.34 billion back to consumers in Q2 2025, with average device age at 3.88 years, and iPhone 13 the top Apple trade-in for four straight quarters 4.
With iPhone 17 still moving in October and launch-day trade-ins up four times year over year 3, expect iPhone 13 to 15 to flood secondary markets in Q4 2025 as upgrades speed up.
Diagnostics and logistics providers can benefit by timing buys to post-launch trade-in spikes, then adjusting pricing. Record Q2 payouts 4 open margin space in a market lifted by longer lifecycles and sustainability trends.