Apple’s best selling iPhone models aren’t what you’d expect, but there’s a good reason

Early in the iPhone’s life, Apple made only one model for everyone. Today, the company releases four flagships every year and also offers the iPhone SE and older models. It’s a lot to keep up with, but a new report gives us a good picture of which models are selling best.

Breakdown of iPhone model sales

CIRP has published an overview of Apple’s iPhone sales from the last few years. Their report focuses on comparing the different models to see what’s most popular.

Here are the raw numbers for this year’s iPhone sales percentages (excluding the SE):

2024

• Base: 42%
• Plus: 13%
• Pro: 19%
• Pro Max: 26%

At a glance, these numbers are surprising, but they make a lot more sense when you dive into the details.

Key detail helps make sense of surprising numbers

What immediately struck me was the overwhelming success of the base iPhone model.

On one hand, many might assume that the base iPhone sells the best because it’s the most affordable.

But if you track iPhone sales closely, you’ll know that out of Apple’s new flagships each year, it’s the Pro and Pro Max that are actually the best sellers.

So how can it be that in 2024, the base iPhone sold more than double the Pro model, and almost as much as the Pro and Pro Max combined?

There’s an important detail to remember: these numbers compile total iPhone sales per model ‘class,’ and Apple only ever sells one Pro and Pro Max model at a time—but you can always buy several different ‘base’ models.

Go to the online Apple Store now to buy an iPhone, and here’s what you’ll see:

Notice that the only Pro and Pro Max models you can get are from the just-launched iPhone 16 line.

But if you’re interested in a base or Plus model, Apple offers three different iPhones at three different price points.

Thus, while the base iPhone ‘class’ might be the best selling for Apple, it’s not actually the best selling individual model. That honor goes to the Pro Max.

Another takeaway: iPhone Plus sales look even more disappointing when you realize the numbers compare three Plus models against one Pro Max, and still lose by a lot.

So overall, numbers can be deceiving depending on what they’re calculating. Apple’s Pro line is still its most successful based on individual models, but when you compile all the models of a similar class, the company actually sells more base iPhones than anything else.

Best iPhone accessories

• ESR MagSafe Car Mount for iPhone
• AirPods Pro 2 (currently just $189, discounted from $249)
• Anker 100W charging brick for fast charging
• 6.6ft USB-C cable for longer reach
• MagSafe iPhone Battery Pack