iPhone Upgrade Cycles Are Getting Shorter Again

iPhone users are upgrading their devices at a slightly faster rate, reversing a long-term trend of increasingly long upgrade cycles, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) reports.

According to data from the quarter ending in December 2024, more iPhone buyers retired their devices at an earlier point compared to previous years. Specifically, 36% of those who purchased a new iPhone during the period had owned their previous device for two years or less. This marks an increase from the 31% reported in the same quarter a year earlier. Meanwhile, the percentage of users who kept their previous iPhone for three years or more declined slightly, falling to 33%.

This shift represents the first notable deviation in upgrade cycles since CIRP began tracking the data in 2014. While a long-term trend toward extended ownership remains, recent factors appear to be accelerating upgrades among a segment of users. CIRP says that the proportion of users upgrading after two years has returned to levels last seen in 2020.

The firm attributes this change to a variety of factors, including ongoing carrier promotions and incentives that encourage earlier upgrades. A major factor influencing upgrade behavior may also be the introduction of Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of AI-powered features.

The timing of this shift coincides with Apple's recent financial performance, which has indicated some weakness in iPhone sales. CIRP speculates that the composition of Apple's customer base could be influencing the trend.

If iPhone sales are slowing overall, those who are upgrading may be the most engaged segment of Apple's user base—individuals who are more likely to adopt new hardware sooner than more casual users. CIRP suggests that slower upgraders may be delaying their purchases even further, waiting for a more compelling reason to replace their current devices.