Initial global sales of Apple iPhone 18 Pro higher than 17 series - Counterpoint Research

What happened

Counterpoint Research said global sales of Apple's iPhone 18 Pro series in the first three weeks after launch were 3.1% higher than the iPhone 17 Pro series a year earlier, with strong China growth offset by declines in the United States and Japan.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

The mixed start matters for Apple because China sales rose 29% while US and Japan sales fell 4% and 27%, so overall growth depends heavily on one market. Higher prices helped revenue per phone but weakened demand where buyers saw few new features.

Analyst inference

Counterpoint said early China stock was higher than last year and price increases on rival flagship Android phones from Chinese makers boosted demand there. In the United States, consumers saw few meaningful feature or design improvements to justify higher prices.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Counterpoint said sales in China rose 29% from a year earlier, the strongest growth of any market, helped by higher early stock of the iPhone 18 Pro series than last year's 17 Pro phones. Confirmed
2. Watch whether Apple adjusts prices or adds features in the United States and Japan, where sales fell 4% and 27% respectively, to justify the higher cost of the new models. Proposed
3. Watch whether China continues to carry overall growth, since Counterpoint said excluding China global sales growth would have been far weaker, leaving Apple reliant on one market for momentum. Analyst inference

Evidence

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