Apple Says It’s Seeing More iPhone Upgrades Than Ever With Apple Intelligence Rollout

More iPhones were upgraded during Apple’s (AAPL) fiscal first quarter than any previous period, CEO Tim Cook said on the company’s earnings call Thursday.  

That milestone comes as the iPhone 16 lineup, which rolled out in September, is outpacing the performance of the iPhone 15 in the months following its launch in September 2023, Cook said.

Customers are upgrading in part to get access to Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of artificial intelligence tools available on iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, Cook said, adding that iPhone 16 sales were stronger in markets where Apple Intelligence is available compared to markets where it hasn’t been rolled out.

That could indicate an opportunity for revenue growth in markets like China, where Apple Intelligence remains unavailable due to regulatory hurdles. Apple’s first-quarter revenue fell 11% year-over-year in the region, as Chinese smartphone makers like Vivo and Huawei gained market share. Overall, Apple’s iPhone sales fell just under 1% year-over-year to $69.14 billion.

In April, Apple Intelligence will be made available in additional languages, including French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, simplified Chinese, and localized English in Singapore and India, the company said. Apple expects to unveil new AI features in the future too, including an “even more capable Siri,” Cook said. 

Cook said he expects Apple Intelligence to “go mainstream” as the company’s base of iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 users grows.

“I know from my own personal experience, once you start using the features you can’t imagine not using them anymore,” he said.