Trending Now - Iphone Air Surges in Popularity, Outshining Plus Model
WHO:
Apple Inc.
Ookla, a company providing crowdsourced speed test data.
WHAT:
The iPhone Air is reported to be about twice as popular as the iPhone 16 Plus during the comparable launch period for the iPhone 17 in 2026.
The iPhone Air accounted for 6.8 percent of usage in the U.S. during the launch period for the iPhone 17, compared to less than 3 percent for the iPhone 16 Plus in late 2024.
The iPhone Air achieved 11.2 percent market share in South Korea, 8.9 percent in Japan, and 8.4 percent in Singapore.
The iPhone Air recorded more than three times the samples of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge domestically.
The iPhone Air captured 6.8 percent of iPhone 17 generation samples in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2025.
The iPhone 16 Plus managed a 2.9 percent share in the same launch window a year earlier.
The iPhone 17 Pro's share fell from 34.9 percent to 30.6 percent year over year.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max remained flat at 55.5 percent.
The iPhone Air achieved 11.2 percent share in South Korea, 8.9 percent in Japan, and 8.4 percent in Singapore.
The iPhone Air recorded more than three times the samples of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge domestically.
WHERE:
United States
South Korea
Japan
Singapore
WHEN:
Fourth quarter of 2025
Launch window for the iPhone 16 in late 2024
Launch period for the iPhone 17 in 2026
WHY:
The iPhone Air's popularity suggests a successful validation of Apple's decision to retire the iPhone Plus model.
HOW:
Ookla's data indicates that the iPhone Air's C1X modem has reached effective download parity with the Qualcomm X80 in the iPhone 17 Pro Max in 19 of 22 analyzed markets, and it outperformed the Qualcomm modem on latency.
Data sourced from crowdsourced cellular network data and analytics gathered from real-world usage of the Speedtest app on iPhones.
Ookla's testing found that the iPhone Air's C1X modem reached effective download parity with the Qualcomm X80 in the iPhone 17 Pro Max in 19 of 22 analyzed markets.
(UPDATED March 24, 2026 04:12 UTC)
Today, the iPhone Air is making headlines as it has become about twice as popular as the iPhone 16 Plus during the launch period for the iPhone 17, capturing 6.8 percent of usage in the U.S. while the older model managed less than 3 percent. The iPhone Air is also seeing impressive market shares internationally, with 11.2 percent in South Korea, 8.9 percent in Japan, and 8.4 percent in Singapore, and it recorded more than three times the samples of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge domestically. Additionally, Ookla's data shows that the iPhone Air's C1X modem has achieved effective download parity with the Qualcomm X80 in the iPhone 17 Pro Max in 19 out of 22 analyzed markets, outperforming it on latency.
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(UPDATED March 24, 2026 01:45 UTC)
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the iPhone Air captured 6.8 percent of iPhone 17 generation samples in the U.S., significantly outperforming the iPhone 16 Plus, which had a 2.9 percent share during its launch window a year earlier. The iPhone 17 Pro saw its share decline from 34.9 percent to 30.6 percent, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max held steady at 55.5 percent, and the iPhone Air also achieved notable shares in South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Data from Ookla indicates that the iPhone Air's modem reached effective download speeds comparable to the Qualcomm X80 in the iPhone 17 Pro Max across 19 of 22 analyzed markets, further validating Apple's decision to retire the iPhone Plus model.