"The iPhone 17 family is now the most popular line-up in our history . . . we believe we gained market share during the quarter," Apple CFO Kevan Parekh recently told the Financial Times.

iPhone sales rose more than 20% to US$57 billion in the first three months of 2026, driven partly by strong demand in China for the 17 series. Revenue from China reached $20.5 billion, up 28% year-on-year, continuing a recent rebound in the market.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said "extraordinary demand" for the 17 family helped deliver the company’s strongest-ever financial results for this period of the year.

iPhone 17 Pro Max (L) iPhone 17 Pro. Photo by VnExpress/Tuan Hung

Released in late September 2025, the 17 lineup includes the 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, the budget 17e, and the iPhone Air, Apple’s thinnest iPhone to date.

Like much of the consumer electronics industry, Apple is facing higher memory chip costs as demand surges for AI data centers.

Cook told Reuters that iPhone demand was "off the charts," but supply remained limited, adding that there is "just a little less flexibility in the supply chain at the moment for getting more parts."

Parekh said memory had an "increasing impact" between the first and second quarters of 2026.

According to MacRumors, iPhone sales were also constrained by limited supply of the A19 and A19 Pro chips produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which is also making processors for AI systems.

Supply issues involving chips and RAM could also affect the upcoming 18 lineup, expected to launch this September. The new series is also expected to include Apple’s first foldable iPhone.