Apple’s newest flagship has done what few expected in a slowing smartphone market sparked an upgrade rush. Early sales for the iPhone 17 series are already 14% higher than last year’s model across the U.S. and China, according to Counterpoint Research. In China, base-model sales have nearly doubled, a key turnaround in a region where Apple has faced growing competition from local brands. The boost is largely tied to smarter pricing and meaningful hardware upgrades: a crisper display, stronger camera setup, faster chip, and larger default storage all at the same launch price as the iPhone 16.

Investors clearly liked the numbers. Apple’s shares climbed to record highs, edging its valuation toward the $4 trillion mark and reaffirming its dominance in the consumer-tech space. For a company often accused of “innovation fatigue,” this iPhone cycle looks like proof that incremental refinement still pays off. By betting on consistency and user experience rather than radical reinvention, Apple managed to turn what could’ve been another routine product refresh into a market-moving story.