Ookla: iPhone Air Doubles Predecessor's iPhone Share

A new report from network analytics firm Ookla reveals that Apple's iPhone Air has achieved strong adoption rates shortly after its launch, capturing nearly double the market share of its predecessor, the iPhone 16 Plus, while its in-house modem delivers competitive 5G performance.

The analysis, based on crowdsourced Speedtest data from the fourth quarter of 2025, shows the iPhone Air accounting for 6.8 percent of active devices within the iPhone 17 lineup. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Plus held just 2.9 percent during a similar period in late 2024. These figures reflect real-world usage rather than shipments, providing insight into consumer preferences amid the iPhone 17 generation's larger overall sales volume. The iPhone Air's gains appear to have come primarily at the expense of the standard iPhone 17 Pro, whose share dropped from 34.9 percent to 30.6 percent year-over-year, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max remained stable at around 55.5 percent. The base iPhone 17 saw a slight increase, from 5.9 percent to 7.0 percent.

Regionally, the iPhone Air has resonated most in markets prioritizing design and slim form factors. It captured 11.2 percent of samples in South Korea, 8.9 percent...