Apple is set to shatter its iPhone shipment record this year, with IDC forecasting 247.4 million units shipped in 2025 - a 6% jump that surpasses even the iPhone 13's blockbuster 2021 performance. The surge is powered by strong iPhone 17 demand, particularly a stunning 17% year-over-year spike in China shipments during Q4, marking Apple's comeback in its most challenging market.
Apple just delivered the comeback story Wall Street's been waiting for. The tech giant is on track to ship a record-breaking 247.4 million iPhones in 2025, according to fresh IDC forecasts released Tuesday - crushing even the iPhone 13's legendary 2021 run of 236 million units.
The numbers tell a remarkable turnaround tale, especially in China where Apple seemed to be losing ground to homegrown rivals just months ago. Fourth-quarter shipments in the region are surging 17% year-over-year, completely flipping IDC's earlier projection of a 1% market decline into 3% growth. "Massive demand for iPhone 17 has significantly accelerated Apple's performance," Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC, said in the report.
This Chinese revival couldn't come at a better time for Apple. Local competitors like Huawei have been steadily chipping away at the iPhone's market share, while Android rivals pushed ahead with AI features that left some questioning Apple's strategy. When the iPhone 17 series launched in September, investors were watching closely to see if Apple could answer those doubts.
The shipment surge isn't just about one market - it's reshaping the entire smartphone landscape. Counterpoint Research forecasted last week that Apple will outsell Samsung globally in 2025 for the first time in 14 years, a seismic shift that would crown Apple the world's top smartphone shipper.
But there's a potential speed bump ahead. Bloomberg reported that Apple might delay the base iPhone 18 model until 2027, breaking its traditional fall release cycle. IDC warns this timing shift could trigger a 4.2% shipment drop in 2026 - a reminder of how much Apple's fortunes ride on its iPhone release rhythm.
