Upgrading To The Iphone 17? Nearly 70% Of Users Plan To After Launch - Here's Why

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• More than 68% of iPhone users scheme to upgrade to an iPhone 17.
• Battery life is nan apical logic cited for upgrading.
• The precocious value of a caller iPhone is 1 logic for not upgrading.

Will you beryllium lining up to bargain an iPhone 17 erstwhile nan caller telephone debuts later this month? If so, you're successful bully company. A mostly of nan 2,000 existing iPhone owners precocious polled by telephone reseller SellCell said they purpose to adhd nan latest exemplary to their shopping carts.

Based connected a report published by SellCell connected Monday, 68.3% of iPhone owners scheme to upgrade to an iPhone 17 astatine motorboat time. With Apple expected to unveil nan iPhone 17 astatine an arena connected Tuesday, September 9, nan caller phones will apt spell connected waste connected aliases astir Sept.19. The number who opportunity they'll upgrade is respective points higher than nan 61.9% who planned to drawback an iPhone 16 successful 2024.

Also: I deciphered Apple's iPhone 17 arena invite, and it led maine down a rabbit spread of theories

Eyeing each nan models successful nan lineup, 38.1% of those surveyed said they'll take a Pro aliases Pro Max variant. Some 16.7% will spell for a modular iPhone 17, while 13.5% are looking astatine nan rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. Designed to switch nan iPhone Plus, nan iPhone 17 Air will reportedly beryllium Apple's thinnest telephone ever.

Why are truthful galore anxious to upgrade? 

Better battery life is nan apical reason, cited by 53.2% of apt upgraders, particularly by those considering a Pro aliases Pro Max variant. Reports propose that nan Pro models will connection improved artillery life acknowledgment to a larger artillery capacity, a much businesslike A19 Pro chip, and nan Adaptive Power Mode successful iOS 26 designed for newer phones.

Also: If these iPhone 17 Air rumors are real, my aged telephone is astir to beryllium retired

Other factors that will punctual group to upgrade see caller creation and features, improvements successful nan display, awesome camera upgrades, and faster charging speeds. Only 7% of those surveyed said that AI and package improvements will play a domiciled successful prompting them to upgrade. That mini number speaks to those who felt burned by Apple's promises past twelvemonth of the wonders of AI, only to fail to present each nan goods.

Why others don't scheme to upgrade

Of course, that still leaves america pinch a adjacent number of iPhone owners who don't scheme to upgrade to a caller model. Here, nan reasons vary. Most (71.7%) said they're satisfied pinch their existent phone. But galore group (68.9%) besides cited precocious prices. Reports from 9to5Mac and different sources propose that nan costs of nan iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will emergence by $50 from past year, resulting successful starting prices of $1,049 and $1,249, respectively.

Also: Every iPhone exemplary that tin beryllium updated to iOS 26 (and which ones don't support it)

Those precocious prices could beryllium exacerbated by nan Trump tariffs. Though 34% said they'd still upgrade if nan value accrued owed to a tariff, 37% said they would clasp off, and 29% said it would dangle connected really overmuch much nan telephone would cost. In May, Trump threatened a 25% tariff connected iPhones made extracurricular nan US. But Apple could antagonistic nan rustle of specified a tariff by cutting manufacturing costs and pulling different tricks.

Foldable phones are nan latest trend designed to reel successful buyers. Only 3.3% of those surveyed said they would clasp retired for a foldable iPhone. However, if Apple waits until 2026 to footwear disconnected a foldable, past 20% would see a Samsung device, while 10% would look astatine a Google phone.

Also: Buy nan iPhone 16 aliases hold for iPhone 17? Here's really I thief friends and family decide

Samsung already offers a lineup of foldable phones, including nan Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. On its end, Google has served up nan Pixel Fold, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Reports person cited Apple prepping a foldable iPhone, but not 1 that's apt to motorboat this year.

The iPhone vs. Android debate

Finally, that brings america to nan ever provocative iPhone vs. Android debate. 

Also: Google is sidesplitting nan Android telephone characteristic that erstwhile made them celebrated - and there's a large logic why

Among each nan iPhone owners polled, almost half (49%) revealed that thing astir Android appeals to them. However, nan remainder admit that Google's level is becoming much alluring. Some 13% pointed to AI arsenic a draw, 11% to nan prices of Android phones, 11% to nan cameras connected Android devices, and 9% to nan foldables sold by specified companies arsenic Samsung and Google.