Apple seems to have an uncontested winner at hand with the new iPhone 17 lineup, as per disparate data points that are now aggregating to paint a picture of heightened consumer interest and rip-roaring demand, leading to extended shipment times.
For instance, according to the Bank of America analyst, Wamsi Mohan, Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max smartphone models are currently experiencing longer shipment delays relative to their iPhone 16 counterparts at an equivalent pre-order stage.
Specifically, the iPhone 17 Pro’s average ship time currently stands at 18 days, compared with 14 days for the iPhone 16 Pro, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max currently has a 25-day wait, versus 23 days last year. Interestingly, the base iPhone 17 has an average ship time of 19 days, up from 10 days for the base iPhone 16.
In an even more striking observation, Mohan notes that the shipment times for Apple's base iPhone 17 are currently at their most extended in a number of years. In fact, we would have to go to the launch of the iPhone 11 back in 2019 to find comparable shipment times for the current pre-order stage.
This echoes a recent post by the famed Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, who believes Apple is targeting a production quota for the two Pro models in the iPhone 17 lineup that is around 25 percent higher than what was observed for the two top-of-the-line variants of the iPhone 16 last year.
As per aggregate estimates, Apple is targeting a combined production of 100 million units for all iPhone 17 variants in 2025 to cater to a more robust demand environment, which is likely a function of the smartphone manufacturer's shrewd decision to bump up the base storage on the most affordable iPhone 17 variant to 256GB, replete with the introduction of the LTPO OLED panel upgrade for the base iPhone 17, and aided by an entirely new, sleek form factor for the iPhone 17 Air.
Moreover, Apple is targeting a 200 percent increase in the production cadence of the iPhone 17 Air relative to the iPhone 16 Plus in the ongoing quarter, as per the findings of TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Note: A previous version claimed that the shipment times for iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max variants were the most stretched since 2019. This error has now been corrected.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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