Surpassing the iPhone 4, the iPhone 17 is expected to break a 15-year-old record.

On August 28th Beijing time, according to the technology website 9to5mac, the iPhone 17 is about to be released soon. Due to the adjustment of Apple's future release strategy, this phone is expected to break the record for the longest sales time of an iPhone flagship model set 15 years ago.

Currently, this record belongs to the iPhone 4. The phone went on sale in June 2010 and remained Apple's flagship iPhone model until the release of the iPhone 4S in October 2011. Since Apple adjusted the flagship phone release cycle from summer to autumn that year, the flagship status of the iPhone 4 lasted for nearly 16 months.

For those consumers waiting for the iPhone 5, this period was particularly frustrating. Apple did not directly release the iPhone 5 but first launched the iPhone 4S, which looked almost the same as the iPhone 4. The changes were mainly internal: Siri made its debut, the camera was upgraded, and the performance was also improved.

Since then, no other iPhone has been able to break the record of over 15 months of sales for a flagship phone set by the iPhone 4. The closest was the iPhone 11 Pro. After the release of the iPhone 12 was postponed due to the pandemic, its status as the iPhone 11 Pro lasted for 13 months. There are also some exceptions, such as the intervals between the iPhone SE, SE 2, and iPhone 16e, each of which exceeded four years. However, these were deliberately arranged and not part of the flagship phone release cycle.

Image | Sales of major iPhone models

However, according to the latest rumors, Apple is considering staggering the release times of the base iPhone and Pro models. Then the iPhone 18 won't be released until the spring of 2027. This means that the iPhone 17 will be sold as Apple's flagship model for about 18 months, breaking the record of the iPhone 4 and setting a new record for the sales time of a standard iPhone flagship model.

One of the main differences between the era of the iPhone 4 and today is the existence of the Pro series. The transition from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S caused a "dry period" for consumers waiting to upgrade to a new phone. This time, during the upgrade cycle from the iPhone 17 to the iPhone 18, the Pro series (and the upcoming Air series) will still be released. In addition, Apple is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone. The foldable model will be the most radical hardware change in iPhone history, but the iPhone 17 is still expected to win the title of the standard flagship model with the longest sales time.

The Shortest-Lived iPhone

So, which flagship iPhone models had the shortest sales times? The cycle from the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 13 is worth mentioning. After the release of the iPhone 12 was delayed due to the pandemic, Apple adjusted its rhythm, and this cycle only lasted for 11 months.

The iPhone X was released in September 2017, but since it didn't officially go on sale until November 2017, its dominant sales position only lasted for 10 months before being replaced by the iPhone XS. (Comprehensively compiled | Xiaoyu)

This article is from the WeChat official account “Phoenix Tech”, author: Phoenix Tech. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.