iPhone Base Models Remain Best-Sellers Despite Pro Max Appeal

Apple's base model iPhones have collectively accounted for 42% of its smartphone sales this year, but iPhone Pro Max devices stand as the best-selling individual model, according to new data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

iphone 16 pro pro max
The report reveals an interesting sales distribution across Apple's iPhone lineup, but the data needs to be interpreted carefully owing to Apple's tiered product strategy. That's because the company sells several generations of base model iPhones simultaneously at different price points, but it only ever offers a single (current) generation of Pro and Pro Max models.

In effect, this means the base model's 42% share represents combined sales across multiple iPhone generations.

Looking at individual models, the iPhone Pro Max captures 26% of sales, followed by the Pro at 19% and Plus models at 13%. The Plus model's performance is particularly notable given that it replaced the smaller iPhone mini in 2022 and has since exceeded its predecessor's market share.

Also notable is that the findings demonstrate a clear shift in consumer preferences toward larger displays. When Apple introduced its first Plus-sized iPhone in 2014, the iPhone 6 Plus, many questioned whether consumers would embrace larger phones. And yet today, the combined share of Plus and Pro Max models accounts for 39% of iPhone sales.

cirp iphone model types sales
CIRP's analysis also highlights the financial impact of larger models. Both Plus and Pro Max variants contribute significantly to iPhone's average selling price and gross margins, commanding higher prices than their standard-sized counterparts despite sharing similar internal components. Note that these figures exclude sales of Apple's entry-level iPhone SE.

The findings suggest Apple has successfully diversified its iPhone lineup to appeal to different user preferences and price points, while maintaining strong sales across all size categories. As CIRP puts it, Apple's "jumbo phone experiment" has turned out to be a success. However, where Apple's rumored slimmer but not necessarily bigger iPhone 17 "Air" model will fit into this strategy next year remains to be seen.

Tag: CIRP

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Top Rated Comments

Heat_Fan89 Avatar
8 months ago
My iPhone 13 does all I need it to do. I don't feel the need to upgrade yet and when I do it's going to be another base model iPhone.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iZac Avatar
8 months ago
So in 2022 when the mini was a viable option, 1 in 14 people bought it? And how many million iPhones did they sell that year?

EDIT: apparently it was estimated at 232 million ('https://www.statista.com/statistics/276306/global-apple-iphone-sales-since-fiscal-year-2007/'), so that's like 16 million iPhone minis in 2022. I know these are guesses on top of guesses but *ahhh* it just makes me sad.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
applepotato666 Avatar
8 months ago

Sure, lower priced base models remain king, but it’s impressive how many people still opt for the expensive options seeing how close in features they are these days.

The “Air” model remains a big question mark, strategy-wise.
Most Pro buyers I know don’t buy the Pro for the features but for the moniker and appearance. The most the regular customer cares about is that it has the 3 cameras on the back, they don’t know what the third one does though. I prefer the design of the regular ones and especially the weight so they’ve always been my pick.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tonmischa Avatar
8 months ago
Please dont forget, that the 12 Mini sales were cannibalized by the SE 2 that was released 6 months before.

After 4 years without a "smaller phone" a lot of people jumped on the SE 2 and therefore did not buy the Mini six months later.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Heat_Fan89 Avatar
8 months ago
Why should anyone be surprised by this? Is it because we have reached Smartphone innovation and everything now are pretty much incremental upgrades or that the base models are generations better than what they are currently using? Could it be that the consumer is cash strapped and are buying the cheapest they could get by with? It's no different in our current economic environment where shoppers are buying more store and generic brands vs the national brands.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcilwraith Avatar
8 months ago
i consider myself pretty tech savvy. i went for the 16" Macbook pro. but the base iPhone is always enough for me. do i need a massive screen? no, i have an iPad. do i need a 120 Hz display? Nah, not on my phone. a base iPhone 16 is more than good enough for 90% of people. its a phone!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)