Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC.
Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple.
Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to grow 1.5 percent, primarily because of the success of the iPhone.
In China, Apple's largest market, massive demand for iPhone 17 has significantly accelerated Apple's performance. It ranked first in October and November per IDC's China Monthly Sales data with more than 20% share, miles ahead of the competition, leading IDC to revise Apple's Q4 forecast in China from 9% to 17% YoY. This turns a previously projected 1% decline in China for 2025 into a positive 3% growth, that's a phenomenal turnaround. The success story is replicated across all regions, including the US and Western Europe that had previously slowed down. This calendar year will not only be a record period for Apple in terms of shipments but also in value, which is forecast to exceed $261 billion, with 7.2% YoY growth in 2025.
Back in October, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple is expecting to set a new all-time revenue record in the December quarter, and a best-ever revenue record for the iPhone. Apple believes overall revenue will grow 10 to 12 percent year-over-year.
Apple has seen strong interest in the standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro models, even though the iPhone Air hasn't performed as expected.
Next year, Apple plans to change its iPhone release timelines. The high-end iPhone Fold and the iPhone 18 Pro models will come out in September 2026 as usual, but the lower-priced iPhone 18 will be held until spring 2027.
IDC predicts that the decision will drop iOS shipments by 4.2 percent in 2026, while a global memory shortage will lead to supply constraints and price increases across the smartphone market. Total global smartphone shipments could decline 0.9 percent in 2026 due to the supply issues and Apple's lineup changes.
