Sales of the iPhone 17 series have started off with a bang and Apple AAPL 0.81% could be well primed to see them soar even more during the highly anticipated holiday season. But how will iPhone sales correlate with the company's stock?
Image source: Getty Images.
Apple preorder sales broke records
A week before Apple released its iPhone 17 series on September 19, 2025, preorder sales for the phones in China topped previous years. Sales on JD.com, one of China's largest online marketplaces, had more preorders in the first minute alone, than the iPhone 16's entire first day sales in the previous year. The standard iPhone 17 model was the best selling model out of the series.
Consumer interest in the iPhone 17 series is high across the U.S.
A recent survey showed that more people in the U.S. are excited for the iPhone 17 Pro than the previous generation's pro model. The new models do boast some improved features, including better camera quality, longer battery life, a stronger back plate, faster wireless charging, and a more efficient processing chip. What also may be enticing for consumers this year is that the standard 256gb iPhone 17 is currently the same price ($829.99) as last year's, as of October, 2025. So for the many consumers that often wait to buy the previous generation after the new one comes out to save money, can just opt for the newer version.
One of the biggest question marks for Apple currently is the new iPhone Air. Outside of being the thinnest iPhone ever, the phone doesn't offer many unique benefits compared to the other 17 series models. In fact, the iPhone Air has fewer cameras and one less speaker than the base and pro models, yet is currently priced $200 more than the base model. Another survey revealed that out of 4,000 consumers, only 9% plan to purchase the Air. Regardless, the base and pro models are expected to carry sales even if the Air doesn't sell well.
NASDAQ: AAPL
Key Data Points
Apple share prices have been on a run
After a 25% surge in September, Apple's stock followed up with another strong month , climbing another 16% in October. Much of the bullish momentum started during its product launch cycle, with shares jumping 5% on the September 12 presale, and another 4.3% on the official release the following Friday. Those two days reinforced the connection between Apple's stock performance and consumer anticipation.
The tech giant's stock closed out October strong, reaching an all-time high of $285 on October 30. And with Black Friday and Christmas shopping approaching, expect that record to be shattered again.
Apple Primed To Break All-Time High During Holiday Season
In four of the last five years (excluding 2022), Apple share prices increased in the last two months of the year, which is often when holiday shopping is prominent. And in each of those four years, the stock reached a record high in December. So barring any crazy hardware or software issues with the iPhone 17 series models, that pattern should continue this year, especially with consumer expectations high.
Is Apple stock a great value buy right now?
For those who are short term and intraday investors, Apple is a great buy right now, ahead of the holiday season. However, for those who are long term investors, waiting until the beginning of 2026, from January to April, is ideal as its share prices are known to fall right after the holiday season. This is actually common among many tech manufactures, as consumer shopping typically falls within that timeframe, and their share prices often retrace after breaking all-time highs.