A torrent of complaints from the masses finally led to Apple bringing its revamped version of its voice assistant, Siri AI, to compatible models, but this decision was merely to remove an objective from its bucket list rather than rolling something out that would bolster its sales. Despite its usefulness, we doubt that the feature will play a pivotal role in deciding your next smartphone purchases, and the proof is in the numbers.
With more than 32 million shipments of the base iPhone 17 recorded in China, which doesn’t even support Siri AI, consumers want value over everything else
Due to regulatory obstacles, China isn’t going to be one of Apple’s first markets to receive Siri AI, which is quite a shame, given that the country records the highest annual shipments in a calendar year. Even then, the base iPhone 17, which has been selling in droves in the region, hasn’t witnessed any slowdown in its popularity, even after the revelation came through that Siri AI won’t be available in China.
According to Weibo’s RD observation, the iPhone 17 has recorded an impressive 32.3 million shipments as of May 2026. It’s important to remember that China’s recent “618” sale discounted various iPhone models, and unsurprisingly, they sold like hotcakes. What the aforementioned statistics indicate is that the majority of consumers don’t care about AI and prefer paying for excellent value over everything else.
At $799 for the base storage of 256GB, the iPhone 17 is equipped with fantastic internals while also being Apple’s first non-Pro handset to support ProMotion technology. Additionally, the device ships with Apple’s 3nm A19 and is equipped with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, offering a solid configuration for the price while also providing years of software support.
We’ve also discussed that when the iPhone 18 launches, Apple should lower the price of the iPhone 17 instead of outright discontinuing it, which should fuel its shipments even further. At $699, the base model will trigger a sales momentum like no other.
News Source: RD observation
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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