apple CEO Tim Cook called On Thursday, his company’s recent surge in iPhone sales was “just astounding.” What’s behind the successful debut of the iPhone 17 family? Analysts have some theories.

The company’s latest quarter results beat Wall Street expectations Total revenue $143.76 billion During this period, sales of its iconic smartphone increased 23% year-on-year. “It was a great quarter for iPhone, with revenue reaching an all-time high of $85.3 billion,” Cook said on the call. “This is our strongest iPhone series ever and our most popular yet. Customer enthusiasm for iPhone throughout the quarter was extraordinary.”

Apple’s strong results don’t necessarily mean customers have gotten the job done holding their old smartphones Lasting for years at a time, a trend driven by technology Increased durability. Nearly half of U.S. iPhone owners have now owned their smartphones for three years or more, according to a survey. September report CIRP tracks data on iPhone buyers through customer surveys. Five years ago, that number was 24%, notes analyst Josh Lowitz, partner and co-founder of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

Instead, growth in iPhone revenue at the end of 2025 may stem from factors such as Apple’s updated pricing strategy and backlog of demand from many customers. The last time I bought a new iPhone was during the Covid-19 pandemicLovitz said.

“During the pandemic, sales were very strong because people weren’t spending money on restaurants and travel, and there was a lot of money moving around. Now, phone buyers during the pandemic have phones that are more than four years old,” Lovitz said. He said these people simply “should” upgrade, which could help spur increased demand.

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Wedbush analyst Dan Ives agreed: “iPhone 17 is almost a sleepy surprise upgrade cycle,” driven in part by “pent-up demand” from an estimated 315 million iPhone users worldwide who, according to Wedbush estimates, haven’t upgraded their smartphones in more than four years.

As for Apple’s pricing strategy, Lovitz noted Apple simplifies its products Models earlier than the iPhone 16 series have been discontinued. Lovitz said that when there are multiple options, shoppers often like to buy the middle option, and by limiting the choices, Apple functionally turned the standard iPhone 17 into the middle option.

Since then, Lowitz said, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max aren’t prohibitively expensive — compared to the standard iPhone 17, anyway — enough to stop consumers from splurging. According to statistics, in the most recent quarter, Apple’s latest high-priced Pro and Pro Max smartphones accounted for 52% of U.S. iPhone sales. CIRP estimate.

Additionally, Lovitz said the phones themselves have received largely positive reviews and praise from consumers as high-quality technology products.

But if Apple can create new or significantly improved iPhone features — perhaps including artificial intelligence software or Foldable iPhone The technology is reportedly in development before the company can repeat its success in the near future, Ives said.

“It’s getting harder and harder for Apple to come up with a hardware upgrade cycle that customers are excited about,” Ives said. “It all depends on artificial intelligence, so customers keep waiting.”

On Thursday’s conference call, Cook touted Plans to work with Google Regarding the upgraded artificial intelligence capabilities of Apple’s Siri virtual assistant, he said the feature will be launched later this year. Apple also announced Acquisition of Q.aian Israeli artificial intelligence startup.

Ives’ prediction: Apple’s customers will continue to spend, at least in the short term. “I think these are all going to be in an upgrade cycle, and I think Apple will continue that upgrade cycle over the next 12 to 18 months,” he said.

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