When we looked into the most popular smartphone of 2017, we saw the iPhone 6 out in front. Only Malaysia offered an alternative, where the iPhone 5 pipped it to top spot.
So, is the iPhone 6 the pinnacle of Apple's engineering genius? Does nobody want to trade up anymore?
Many have suggested we've reached 'Peak Smartphone', with new releases and additions offering nothing of real value to users, certainly not for the price tags involved.
It's hard to put a value on animojis, after all.
There's also the issue of improving device life-expectancy. This theory is backed up by research from Kantar Worldpanel; the average lifespan of a device in the US was 25.3 months by the end of 2017. In 2015, it was 23.6.
Whatever the cause, let's have a look at the most used iPhone models in 2017. This data covers the whole of 2017.
For our most recent look at the most popular iPhones in the world with updated data and insights, click here.
Most Popular iPhones in the USA
The popularity of the iPhone 6 was confirmed in April 2017, when Business Insider published the below chart, highlighting the "sweet spot" for devices, and how reluctant the public can be to upgrade where there's no material advantage in doing so.
Of the top 25 US devices included in our annual figures, only 9 were iPhones, but 6 of these were in the top 10.
The iPhone 6 drove 14.2% of total visits, with the 7 accounting for 8.8%.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| United States | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| United States | 3 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| United States | 4 | iPhone 6S | iOS 9.0 |
| United States | 5 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| United States | 6 | iPhone 6S Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| United States | 7 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| United States | 8 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| United States | 9 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in the United Kingdom
It was a straight Apple v Samsung battle in the UK, with the former taking the top 3 spots.
The most used device for 2017, the iPhone 6, accounted for a total of 14.6% of all mobile website traffic included, highlighting its dominance.
Despite 16 of the top 25 being Samsung Galaxy handsets, we can confidently claim a successful year for Apple in the UK, in terms of device usage, not sales (which have been less than expected worldwide).
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| United Kingdom | 2 | iPhone 6S | iOS 9.0 |
| United Kingdom | 3 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| United Kingdom | 4 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| United Kingdom | 5 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| United Kingdom | 6 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| United Kingdom | 7 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| United Kingdom | 8 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| United Kingdom | 9 | iPhone 6S Plus | iOS 9.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in Canada
LG handsets - the G3, G4 and G5, featured in the top 25 devices in Canada, but the main players were rather predictable.
The iPhone 6 accounted for over 16% of total traffic for the period, among the highest in the group.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Canada | 2 | iPhone 6S | iOS 9.0 |
| Canada | 3 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Canada | 4 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| Canada | 5 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Canada | 6 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Canada | 7 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Canada | 8 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Canada | 9 | iPhone 6S Plus | iOS 9.0 |
Most popular iPhones in Australia
Once again, the iPhone 6 was in top spot, with 15.8% of overall website visits.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Australia | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Australia | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 9.0 |
| Australia | 4 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Australia | 5 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Australia | 6 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Australia | 7 | iPhone 6S Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Australia | 8 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| Australia | 9 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Australia | 10 | iPhone 4 | iOS 4.0 |
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Most Popular iPhones in Germany
The scene in Germany was a bit more diverse than the other countries included, but nonetheless the iPhone 6 sits top of the pile with 9% of total website visits.
However, only three Apple models - the 6, 6S and 7 - featured in the top ten for 2017, Samsung claiming the rest. You see how this plays out in our previous article, The Most Popular Smartphones of 2017.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Germany | 2 | iPhone 6S | iOS 9.0 |
| Germany | 3 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Germany | 4 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Germany | 5 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| Germany | 6 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Germany | 7 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Germany | 8 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in France
iPhones accounted for over 40% of our recorded visits in France for 2017, with the iPhone 6 claiming 12%.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| France | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| France | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 9.0 |
| France | 4 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| France | 5 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| France | 6 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| France | 7 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| France | 8 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| France | 9 | iPhone 6S Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| France | 10 | iPhone 4 | iOS 4.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in Italy
Huawei have a presence in Italy, but the top 25 was once again dominated by the big two.
With the iPhone 6 sending 8.7% of total mobile website visits over the year, it can be deemed a victory - but by a much narrower margin than the rest of Europe.
The iPhone 7, with 4% of the pie, will surely overtake the 6 soon as the most used device in Italy.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Italy | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Italy | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 9.0 |
| Italy | 4 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Italy | 5 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Italy | 6 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Italy | 7 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| Italy | 8 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in Spain
Spain featured a lot of device diversity in our data, with two entries for the bq Aquaris in the top 25.
However, normal service resumed higher up the list. The iPhone 6 claims 6.4%, with the 7 on 4.1%, and closing.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Spain | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Spain | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 9.0 |
| Spain | 4 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Spain | 5 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Spain | 6 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Spain | 7 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in Ireland
Ireland is the only European country where we saw the iPhone 4 in our 2017 data. With a mere 0.8% of visits, it may not appear at all in 2018's review.
The iPhone 6 leads with 16.3% of overeall traffic, with the 5S well behind in second with 6.2%.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Ireland | 2 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Ireland | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| Ireland | 4 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Ireland | 5 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Ireland | 6 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| Ireland | 7 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Ireland | 8 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Ireland | 9 | iPhone 4 | iOS 4.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in Sweden
By the end of 2017, the iPhone 7 had overtaken the 6 as the most popular phone in Sweden, but taking the year as a whole, the older device clocked up over twice the traffic, with 15.8% of the pie (v 7.6%).
This suggests strong sales towards the end of the year for the iPhone 7. You can investigate even more details on Sweden's device landscape through our Device Explorer tool.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Sweden | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Sweden | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| Sweden | 4 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Sweden | 5 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Sweden | 6 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Sweden | 7 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Sweden | 8 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| Sweden | 9 | iPhone 6S Plus | iOS 9.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in Poland
One of the few countries where a non-Apple/Samsung device is the most popular, 2017 was a good year for Huawei in Poland.
The P8 Lite accounted for 4.43% of website visits, with the iPhone 6 (who else) narrowly beaten off top spot, with 4.37%.
Looking at iPhones alone, the models and order of popularity are consistent with the rest of Europe.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Poland | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Poland | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| Poland | 4 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Poland | 5 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Poland | 6 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in Africa
Once again, the iPhone 6 was the most popular Apple device in South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria - but was it the most popular device overall?
Of course it was.
Accounting for 6.7% of traffic in South Africa, 4.8% in Egypt and 6.6% in Nigeria, the iPhone 6 had a great 2017 worldwide.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| South Africa | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| South Africa | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| South Africa | 4 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| South Africa | 5 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| South Africa | 6 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| South Africa | 7 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Egypt | 2 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Egypt | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| Egypt | 4 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Egypt | 5 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Egypt | 6 | iPhone 6S Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Egypt | 7 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Egypt | 8 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Nigeria | 2 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Nigeria | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| Nigeria | 4 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Nigeria | 5 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Nigeria | 6 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Nigeria | 7 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in South America
Brazil was firm Apple country, with the iPhone 6 taking first spot with 8.8% of traffic.
The 7 accounted for 5.5% of 2017's traffic, and like Sweden, our Data Explorer can confirm it's since overtaken it's older brother as the most used device.
Argentina enjoyed a wide range of devices, confirmed by the overall winner - the iPhone 6 - only driving 4.1% of total traffic. The 25th most popular phone for 2017 had 1.2% of traffic, indicating a fluid device landscape.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Argentina | 2 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Argentina | 3 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Argentina | 4 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Argentina | 5 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Brazil | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Brazil | 3 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Brazil | 4 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Brazil | 5 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| Brazil | 6 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Brazil | 7 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Brazil | 8 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Colombia | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Colombia | 3 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Colombia | 4 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| Colombia | 5 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Colombia | 6 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Colombia | 7 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in Russia
Russia is the only country in our study where two models of iPhone 4 make an appearance.
At the higher end of the scale, the iPhone 6 drove 9.7% of mobile website visits throughout 2017.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Russia | 2 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Russia | 3 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Russia | 4 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Russia | 5 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| Russia | 6 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Russia | 7 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Russia | 8 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| Russia | 9 | iPhone 4 | iOS 4.0 |
| Russia | 10 | iPhone 4S | iOS 5.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in India
The iPhone 6 took the crown as India's most used in 2017, with 3.5% of total traffic, but as you can see from the table below, only 4 models made it into our top 25.
Data Explorer tells us that the iPhone 5S is no longer the second most popular Apple device, however, with the 7 and 6S making the predictable gains towards the end of the year.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| India | 2 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| India | 3 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| India | 4 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in Japan
The only country in our study to feature the iPhone 8, with 0.4% of total traffic, is Japan.
9 of the top 10 most popular devices for 2017 were iPhones, and between them, they account for over 63% of overall mobile website visits.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 1 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Japan | 2 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Japan | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| Japan | 4 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Japan | 5 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Japan | 6 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Japan | 7 | iPhone SE | iOS 9.3 |
| Japan | 8 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Japan | 9 | iPhone 6S Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Japan | 10 | iPhone 8 | iOS 11.0 |
Most Popular iPhones in Malaysia
Finally, a different result!
In Malaysia, the iPhone 5 was slightly more used than the 6 throughout the entire year, but it's unlikely to retain that status for long.
It accounted for 5.6% of the traffic, while the iPhone 6 drove 5.2%.
| Country | 2017 Rank | Phone model | Initial OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 1 | iPhone 5 | iOS 6.0 |
| Malaysia | 2 | iPhone 6 | iOS 9.0 |
| Malaysia | 3 | iPhone 6S | iOS 10.0 |
| Malaysia | 4 | iPhone 6 Plus | iOS 9.0 |
| Malaysia | 5 | iPhone 5S | iOS 7.0 |
| Malaysia | 6 | iPhone 7 Plus | iOS 10.0 |
| Malaysia | 7 | iPhone 7 | iOS 10.0 |
| Malaysia | 8 | iPhone 6S Plus | iOS 9.0 |
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