Analysis reveals premium adoption accelerating while older models remain entrenched across the U.S.

NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / September 18, 2025 / With Apple's release of the iPhone 17, Start.io unveiled new research providing a detailed look at current iPhone ownership patterns across the United States. Drawing on data from millions of devices, the analysis highlights where Apple's latest models are gaining traction, which states are holding onto older generations, and how sharply the market is split between base and premium editions.

At the national level, the iPhone 14 remains the most widely owned generation at 18.91% penetration, followed closely by the iPhone 16 (18.33%), iPhone 15 (17.57%), and iPhone 13 (17.04%). When broken down by individual model, however, the standard iPhone 13 leads all devices with 9.24% share, underscoring its staying power as a baseline device across nearly every state.

Key findings from the research include:

• The iPhone 13 dominates: The standard iPhone 13 ranks as the top model in 43 states, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 most often take second place.

• Premium models are surging: The iPhone 16 Pro Max (5.97%) now outpaces the standard iPhone 16 (4.44%), the only instance where a Pro Max has surpassed a base model nationally.

• Regional divides are stark: Colorado leads in iPhone 16 adoption at 21.3%, while Arkansas lags at 15.4%. Premium preference is highest in Alaska (54% of users) and lowest in Mississippi (33%).

"As Apple doubles down on premium models and introduces the slimmer iPhone Air, our data shows just how fragmented the U.S. market remains," said Omer Peled, Start.io's VP of Product. "Consumers in some states are eager to adopt the latest devices, while others stick with legacy models. The iPhone 17 will be a litmus test of whether Apple can accelerate upgrades across the board or whether the divide between premium adopters and everyday users will continue to grow."

Read the full research here.

About Start.io

Start.io is a sell-side omnichannel advertising platform powered by real-time mobile audiences. We deliver hundreds of millions of ads per day across thousands of active mobile apps and web publishers. Our platform uses artificial intelligence to deliver more efficient, effective, and precise digital advertising campaigns. Our direct integration with thousands of mobile publishers gives us access to more than 50 billion first-party data signals per day across the globe. Marketers use these anonymized signals to understand and predict consumer behavior, identify new opportunities, and fuel business growth.

SOURCE: Start.io