Paolo Pescatore, founder of PP Foresight, discusses Apple’s iPhone 17 launch, early demand signals, and the company’s cautious approach to AI.

London

Apple has introduced its iPhone 17 lineup, marking a significant redesign and offering a range of models to appeal to various users at different price points. The new Air model has been highlighted as a standout, with its slim design attracting attention. Early pre-order data indicates that demand for the iPhone 17 is outpacing that of its predecessor, especially in key markets like China, where Apple faces stiff competition from domestic brands.

Analysts note that the iPhone 17 series could help Apple recapture market share in China, with the Air model seen as a possible precursor to future foldable devices. Despite industry focus on artificial intelligence, Apple has adopted a cautious approach to AI features, prioritizing user trust and product reliability. AI is not currently a primary factor for most consumers when choosing a new device.

Apple’s iPhone 17 'gives users a good headache,' says analyst

Well, I was at the launch event in Cupertino and there was huge excitement and I think overall in the era of sameness that we have seen with the iPhone, it's great that we've seen a completely redesigned line-up and there's actually now an iPhone for everyone at an affordable price. And Apple's really given people a really good headache to have and so we're going to really get a sense of what are the sought-after features in terms of the slimness, of course, you know, the Air is the hero product, or whether people are going to go with one of the other variants of the standard iPhone 17 or one of the Pro and the Pro Max, but I think they've tried to standardise as much of the features across the range and now it's very much empowering the user to decide which one fits better with their lifestyle. And what about early gauges of demand? I've seen a few sort of notes again from various trackers suggesting that the iPhone 17 in terms of early pre-orders is tracking higher than the 16. Is that syncing up with some of the gauges of demand you've seen? Yeah, so far we go by what we hear and see from a number of sources and it seems to suggest that the iPhone 17 is actually performing a lot better than the 16 line-up. And again, there's something new, there's huge excitement, it's kind of reinvigorated the market and already overnight looking at some of the cues in China in particular as well, which is obviously a key core market for Apple, it's encouraging again. Just quickly on China as well Paolo, look, Apple's had incredible problems over there, it's facing renewed competition from Huawei and the other domestic players, we're coming out with incredible phones with a lot of strong features that are really appealing to Chinese users at this point in time. Does the latest iPhone 17 series have a chance to recapture some of the audience over in China? In terms of early signs, I would say yes and it's extremely encouraging and in particularly the Hero product around the air, it obviously builds on the trend towards slimmer devices. Of course, we've seen a lot of the Asian manufacturers focus heavily on foldable as a differentiation over others such as Apple, so at least then this paves the way for a future foldable device, so it brings something different that people are very much looking forward to actually getting their hands on. Do you think this Air product could be the stepping stone to Apple launching a foldable? For sure, you know, we're getting to a point where we're probably one or two steps away to a completely, a device that's portless that very much opens the way to that foldable. Again, it's very much a nascent category, you know, Samsung, we're up to what, the seventh iteration now with the fold and the flip, so still, you know, it's early days to actually gauge that demand amongst the Apple. And Paolo, can't talk about Apple these days without talking about AI and Apple intelligence and how disappointed more broadly investors have been with Apple's efforts early on in this space versus, say, Samsung and Google with what they've been doing on their devices as well. Is Apple too late to this party? I would go the other way around. I think Apple really should have taken a much more cautious approach and take a wait and see given the relationship that it has with customers. And let's not forget, the iPhone is a really core product for customers. They can't get it wrong and I think, you know, clearly the position of Apple intelligence in the early days was wrong and they've very much taken a step back in the way they introduce this to customers. And let's be honest, if you look at most customers nowadays, AI is not a sought-after feature and it doesn't remain high in terms of the decision-making process when you're buying a new device.

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Tiranë

Rise of AI

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Tallinn

Ukraine Invasion

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Washington

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Paris

Middle East Conflict

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Beijing

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New York

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Missoula

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Atlanta

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Haar Road

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Jerusalem

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Utah County

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Windsor

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Doha

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U.S. President Donald Trump becomes the first U.S. president to receive a second state visit as Britain faces protests over immigration and growing support for the pro-Trump Reform Party. CBS News correspondent Ed O'Keefe reports from London.

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