The Sellers Research Group (that’s me) doesn’t believe it, but the leaker known as “Fixed Digital Focus” — as noted by MacRumors — claims Apple has slashed iPhone 17 demand predictions due to rising costs.
He/she says that some production lines for the standard iPhone 17 this week shifted from an earlier 15% reduction to plans to suspend roughly one-third of their capacity. “Fixed Digital Focus” also says Apple has made a “very serious” internal assessment of the impact that higher hardware costs could have on demand.
However, I’m dubious because the iPhone 17 was the world’s best-selling smartphone in the first quarter of 2026. And despite an overall 5.7% decline in the broader US smartphone market, Apple managed to grow its US sales volume by 1.3% in the first quarter of 2026, claiming up to a 77% share at major carriers like Verizon.
I’ve seen no forecast other than that of Fixed Digital Focus to make me think sales demand will plummet. Of course, when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max roll out in September, iPhone 17 sales will decline as upgraders move to the newest version of Apple’s smartphone.
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