On the 9th (local time), the thinnest iPhone ever, the 'iPhone Air,' was unveiled at the new product launch event held at Apple Park in the United States. Photo by Yonhap News

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As the official launch of the iPhone 17 series approaches on September 19, the lineup is facing criticism for a perceived lack of innovation. In a surprising twist, the standard model is proving more popular than the premium Pro model. With the iPhone 17 series seen as lagging behind competitors in artificial intelligence (AI) features, demand for the Pro models has declined, while the standard model-whose price increase was kept to a minimum-has become the preferred choice.

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According to the IT and telecommunications industry on September 18, the standard model of the iPhone 17 series has been selling out repeatedly on online marketplaces during the domestic pre-order period, which began on September 12. This is in stark contrast to previous iPhone launches, where the Pro models were more popular during pre-orders. Since the release of the iPhone 11 series in 2019, Apple has launched its smartphones in both standard and Pro lineups. This year, the ultra-thin Air model was newly added to the lineup.

In fact, during the ongoing pre-orders for unlocked iPhone 17 series devices on major e-commerce platforms such as Coupang and 11st, the standard model is completely sold out in all storage capacities and colors, making it impossible to purchase. For some colors, all units were sold out within one minute after pre-orders began at 9 p.m. on September 12 due to a surge in demand.

The situation is similar for those purchasing through mobile carriers. In SK Telecom’s ongoing pre-orders for the iPhone 17 series, the standard model is already sold out and unavailable for pre-order. Other carriers are still accepting pre-orders for the standard iPhone 17, but it is reported that there will be a wait before customers can actually receive their devices. In contrast, the iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone Air are still available for order-both unlocked and through carriers-except for certain models and colors.

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This trend is interpreted as a shift in demand from the Pro models to the standard model, amid growing sentiment that the new iPhone is falling behind competitors in terms of AI features. A leading competitor, Samsung Electronics, has already integrated AI features into its latest Galaxy smartphones’ operating systems, using Google’s Gemini and its own Samsung Gauss models.

Sales of Galaxy devices equipped with AI features are on the rise domestically. The Galaxy S25 series, launched in February this year, reached 3 million units sold in South Korea by early last month-a record pace for any 5G Galaxy S series released in the country. The foldable Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 also set a new record for the Galaxy foldable lineup, with 1.04 million units sold during pre-sales in Korea.

Apple's artificial intelligence assistant Siri. Apple homepage

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At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) held in June, Apple announced iOS 26, which will be installed on the iPhone 17 series, with a primary focus on changes to the user interface (UI) design. There was no major update to Apple’s AI service, Apple Intelligence, nor the introduction of agentic AI features such as a personalized Siri. These features are expected to launch next year.

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The popularity of the standard iPhone 17 model this year appears to be driven not only by improved performance compared to last year’s iPhone 16, but also by its standout value for money, as the price increase was kept minimal. The iPhone 17 features display improvements such as ProMotion with a 120Hz refresh rate and an always-on display (AOD), compared to its predecessor. The base storage has also increased from 128GB in the iPhone 16 to 256GB, while the price rose by only 40,000 won (from 1,250,000 won to 1,290,000 won). In fact, when compared to the same storage capacity, the price has effectively been reduced.

On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Pro saw the removal of the 128GB option, and the 256GB model’s price rose to 1,790,000 won, increasing the financial burden. Additionally, the divisive design and limited color options are thought to have contributed to its lower popularity compared to the previous generation. The new Air lineup, designed for lightness, comes with only one camera and one speaker, and supports only eSIM instead of a physical SIM card, which is expected to cause inconvenience for users looking to switch devices. Customers currently using a physical SIM card will need to go through the process of switching to eSIM.

A telecommunications industry official stated, “While the prices of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models have increased, the AI features have not met expectations. As a result, the Pro models are less popular than before, and demand has shifted toward the standard model.”