Apple Forecasted to Sell Record-Breaking 240+ Million iPhones in 2021

Apple is on a trajectory to sell a record-breaking 240-250 million iPhones in the 2021 fiscal year, topping a previous record of 231 million iPhones sold in the 2015 fiscal year, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.

iphone 12 pro video colors
"While the Street is forecasting roughly 220 million iPhone units for FY21, we believe based on this current trajectory and in a bull case Cupertino still has potential to sell north of 240 million units (~250 million could be in the cards - an eye popping figure) which would easily eclipse the previous Apple record of 231 million units sold in FY15," said Ives, in a research note shared with MacRumors today.

Ives estimates that 350 million iPhone users worldwide are currently "in the window of an upgrade opportunity," which he believes is "translating into an unprecedented supercycle upgrade cycle" for Apple this year.

If this forecast proves to be accurate, the iPhone 12 lineup could prove to be the most popular since the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which saw strong demand following their September 2014 launch due to their larger screen sizes. Samsung already offered multiple smartphones with screen sizes at or beyond the 5-inch mark at the time.

Tag: Wedbush

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
60 months ago
Get your passport ready folks!. Get ready to pre-order this September. 5 months to ago...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cosmosent Avatar
60 months ago
Ives is an "AAPL Cheerleader" masquerading as a so-called Pro Stock Analyst, nothing more, nothing less.

CNBC should make him wear a Cheerleader "skirt" whenever he comes on their show.

BTW, Ives has been saying it's gonna be a Supercycle for years now !
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appleguy123 Avatar
60 months ago
That’s a lot.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IIGS User Avatar
60 months ago
The 12/12Pro is an excellent product that combined a significant positive change in form factor with an upgrade in capabilities. No wonder it's a big seller.

Add in all the extra money some people have sitting around the house, no commuting, eating in, getting free money from the government, and it's gotta go SOMEWHERE.

I'm one of those people who got 3 checks from the government the past year, kept my job, got a half decent raise (due to longevity increases build into a CBA), and worked a nice chunk of OT that wouldn't have been there not for 'Rona.

I got the 'Rona, didn't really get sick (I got sick to my stomach when I saw the positive test the morning I woke up, but otherwise I was fine) but my time off was paid. My wife missed a few days pay due to procedural that came about due to her work status, but other than that, we faired pretty well.

I've been fully vaccinated since March. She got her second shot last Saturday. Had Pfizer arm for about 2 days (I got Moderna and had almost no side effects).

BTW, when the 5G UW works (down the beach, and in certain parts of the city) it's blazing fast. The DE and MD beaches have widespread 5G UW coverage now...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tranceking26 Avatar
60 months ago
That's a lot of iPhones!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
60 months ago
I’m at a loss for how these sales volumes are physically possible.

How much income does one need for the purchase of an iPhone to be reasonable? I’m feeling like people making under $30K/year probably shouldn’t be dropping $2K on a phone. But you’re in the global top 1% if you’re making $30K/year or more. The world population is 8B, so the population who can reasonably afford an iPhone is around 80M.

But those people don’t buy a new phone every year. They only buy a new phone every 2-3 years. So really this puts a maximum on the number of sales possible around 30M. Oh, and a lot of these people who could buy an iPhone could also buy an Android instead. So let’s say 20M/year.

Maybe I should look at this from the opposite direction. Let’s say we’re talking 360M phone sales costing as much as Apple’s do. Factor in that people only buy every 2-3 years and the population of people buying these phones is around 750M - let’s just say it’s 10% of the global population. You need an annual income of $15K to be in this group. This means people are spending over 14% of their pretax income on owning a smartphone. Probably 20% post tax.

What about a house? Food? Clothing? Power? Water? A car? Saving for retirement?

Should we blame Apple for why people haven’t saved enough to retire, or why they can’t afford rent? I mean, yeah, personal responsibility and all that... but IDK, maybe our schools should be better funded and people wouldn’t be stupidly buying these phones they can’t afford?

Has anyone bought a used iPhone instead? That’s what I did - I got an 8+ when it was a year old for 50% of what it would have been new...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)