Following Apple’s announcement of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple’s first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, iPhone Mania conducted an emergency reader survey to find out purchase intentions and popular models. We received valid responses from 126 people in approximately 30 hours, from 4 a.m. on September 10, immediately after the announcement, to 10 a.m. on the following day, September 11. Interesting results are compiled, including the popular colors and capacities of each model, purchasing decision factors, and even how “how much you can spend on a foldable iPhone” changed before and after the announcement.
Urgent survey following iPhone 18 announcement! 126 people’s voices
Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, Apple Watch Series 12/Ultra 4/SE 3, and AirPods 5 at an announcement event starting at 2:00 am on September 10th Japan time.
iPhone Mania conducted a reader survey in the iM community to find out interest in these new products and trends in popular models. The survey started at 4:00 a.m. on September 10th and ended at 10:00 a.m. on September 11th, in about 30 hours, and 126 valid responses were collected. Thank you to everyone who helped us.
This time, we used a format in which, when you select the model you plan to buy, we only ask you about the color and capacity of that model, so the popular colors and capacity of each Pro/Pro Max/Duo can be compiled based on only the voices of those who are actually considering it.
Current models used: Pro series dominates the top, iPhone Air also ranks 5th
When asked which iPhone they mainly use (124 people answered), the top 5 models were as follows. The most recent two generations, “Pro” and “Pro Max,” occupy the top four spots, and the thin model iPhone Air, which was released last year, comes in fifth place.
- iPhone 17 Pro: 13.7%
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 12.1%
- iPhone 16 Pro: 10.5%
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 8.9%
- iPhone Air: 8.1%
84.5% are considering purchasing! 60% use iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max, 1 in 4 also use Duo
Among the new products announced at this event, the iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max was the most popular product that people were considering purchasing (multiple answers allowed, 116 people answered) at 60.3%. More than one in four people are considering Apple’s first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, at 26.7%.
- iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max: 60.3%
- iPhone Duo: 26.7%
- Apple Watch (Series 12/Ultra 4/SE 3): 17.2%
- AirPods 5: 4.3%
- There are no products that I am considering purchasing: 15.5%
Only 15.5% of respondents answered that they are not considering purchasing any products, and over 80% of respondents are considering purchasing some kind of product. In a survey conducted at the same time last year, 24.1% of respondents said they were not considering any products, so it can be said that purchase intentions are particularly high this year.
Popular models: iPhone 18 Pro takes first place, Duo beats Pro Max
When asked which iPhone model they are considering purchasing (multiple answers allowed, 75 people answered), the iPhone 18 Pro came in first place with 45.3%. In second place was the foldable iPhone Duo, with a share of 34.7%, surpassing the iPhone 18 Pro Max (30.7%).
Seven people were considering two or more models. The most common combination is “iPhone 18 Pro + iPhone Duo”, and it seems that people are buying the Pro for everyday use and the Duo for new experiences.
The popular color of the iPhone 18 Pro is the new color “burgundy”, and 80% of the capacity is 256GB
When we asked 34 people considering purchasing the iPhone 18 Pro what color they wanted, the new color burgundy came first at 32.4%. This was followed by Glacier (26.5%), Black (23.5%), and Silver (17.6%). The new subdued dark red color is gaining more support than the standard black.
The desired capacity was overwhelmingly 77.4% for 256GB (219,800 yen), 19.4% for 512GB, and 3.2% for 1TB. No one chose 2TB (429,800 yen).
The main iPhones used by people considering purchasing the iPhone 18 Pro are iPhone 17 Pro (7 people), iPhone 16 Pro (5 people), and iPhone 15 Pro (5 people), and most of them are switching from the Pro model.
iPhone 18 Pro Max’s black is number one, and colors are also solid for large screen users
Among those considering purchasing the iPhone 18 Pro Max (23 people), black was the top choice at 30.4%. Glacier and silver were tied at 26.1%, while burgundy was at 17.4%. In contrast to Pro, there is a tendency for standard colors to be chosen over new colors.
The capacity is 256GB (239,800 yen) at 63.6% and 512GB at 31.8%. The 512GB ratio is higher than the Pro, which suggests that more people use the large screen to handle photos and videos.
The current models of those considering purchasing are iPhone 17 Pro Max (7 people), iPhone 17 Pro (4 people), and iPhone 15 Pro Max (3 people), which Pro Max users continue to choose.
iPhone Duo is “Night Sky”, luxury-oriented with maximum capacity of 512GB
Among those considering purchasing an iPhone Duo (26 people), Night Sky was the most popular choice at 53.8%, while Star White was at 46.2%.
What’s interesting is the capacity. For Pro/Pro Max, the minimum 256GB was overwhelming, but for Duo, 512GB (399,800 yen) was the most popular at 44.0%, exceeding 256GB (364,800 yen) at 40.0%. 2TB (574,800 yen) was also selected by 12.0%, and it is clear that those who buy Duo do not compromise on capacity.
The models currently being used by people considering purchasing Duo are iPhone 16 Pro Max (5 people), iPhone Air (4 people), and iPhone 15 Pro Max (4 people). Large-screen Pro Max users and Air users who jumped into last year’s new shape are also interested in the next new shape.
Purchasing decision factor: 65% said that the Pro was “up to date” and the Duo was “foldable”
Among the deciding factors for purchase (multiple answers allowed, 65 people answered), “having the latest iPhone” was the most popular answer at 53.8%. “Improved camera performance,” “Improved battery life,” and “Improved processing performance” were cited at 33.8%.
When you look at each model, you can see the differences in their personalities.
- iPhone 18 Pro: Being the latest iPhone (47%), improved processing performance (44%), improved camera performance/battery life (41%)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: It’s the latest iPhone (48%), it’s time to buy a new one/Improved camera performance (35%)
- iPhone Duo: Foldable (65%), Newest iPhone (50%), New exterior design (35%)
While the deciding factor for the Pro/Pro Max is its improved performance, two out of three people decided to buy the Duo due to its “foldable” shape.
Purchase timing: 83% made reservations on the reservation start date, which is significantly higher than last year.
When we asked those considering purchasing the product when to pre-order/purchase it (72 people answered), 83.3% said they would “pre-order on the pre-order start date and purchase on the release date.” Last year’s answer for the same question was 58.5%, an increase of nearly 25 points. Only a small number of respondents answered, “After looking at the actual products and reviews” (6.9%) and “After looking at the situation for a while” (4.2%).
The reservation start date differs depending on the model, and is Saturday, September 12th for iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max, and Friday, October 16th for iPhone Duo. Please also see the article summarizing the reservation process.
Place of purchase: Apple online store accounts for nearly 80% of purchases.
As for where to make a reservation/purchase (71 people answered), an overwhelming 77.5% said “Purchase from Apple Online Store and receive delivery.” This was followed by “mobile carrier’s online shop” (11.3%) and “pick up at Apple online store” (5.6%). This has further increased from 62.6% last year, and online reservations and purchases have become fully established.
Current iPhone: Trade-in and “keep it as a secondary device” tied for first place
When asked what to do with the iPhone they were using (71 people answered), 22.5% of respondents said they would “trade it in to Apple” and “Use it as a spare/sub device.” This was followed by “sell at a store” (18.3%) and “mobile carrier trade-in program” (14.1%).
A total of 55% said they would sell or trade it in, and 35% would keep it. The number of people who want to keep their products has increased compared to last year (23.7%), and it appears that more people are using two Pro-type high-performance machines.
[Comparison before and after announcement]How much can you spend on a foldable iPhone?
Until the day before the announcement, iPhone Mania was conducting a survey asking, “How much can you sell for a foldable iPhone?” (69 people responded). We included the same question in this survey, and listed how the answers changed before and after looking at the actual price (364,800 yen for 256GB).
| Before presentation (69 people) | After presentation (111 people) | |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 200,000 yen | 8.7% | 20.7% |
| Up to 300,000 yen | 50.7% | 31.5% |
| Up to 400,000 yen | 20.3% | 15.3% |
| I will buy it even if it costs more than 400,000 yen. | 2.9% | 6.3% |
| I have no plans to buy it in the first place | 17.4% | 26.1% |
Before the announcement, half of the respondents said they would buy up to 300,000 yen, but after it became clear that the actual price was in the 360,000 yen range, the percentage of respondents who said they had no plans to buy in the first place increased from 17.4% to 26.1%. On the other hand, the number of people who would buy even if it cost more than 400,000 yen doubled from 2.9% to 6.3%. There is a clear division between those who looked at the price and decided it was not possible, and those who decided to buy it anyway.
In addition, in a pre-announcement survey, the most popular name for the folding iPhone was 44%, who predicted “Ultra,” but it was actually “Duo.” Approximately 30% of people who answered “I think it would be a different name” answered correctly.
Reader’s comment: “Even if it’s over budget, I like trying things for the first time.”
In the comment section of the survey, the following comments were made about the iPhone Duo:
The Duo is completely over budget, but in its home country it’s under $2,000, so Apple seems to be doing its best, and since the purchase price of Apple products is expected to drop by 30-40% in two years, I’m guessing it won’t fall below $200,000. Above all, I like trying things for the first time, so I’m starting to consider purchasing them.
The purchase of the Duo seems to be driven by both the calculation that it’s expensive, but considering the asset value, and the feeling of being a first-time buyer.
Summary: Don’t miss out on making reservations for popular models and colors
Based on the survey results, the new color burgundy will be popular for the iPhone 18 Pro, black for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Night Sky for the iPhone Duo. As for capacity, 256GB for Pro/Pro Max and 512GB for Duo received votes.
More than 80% of respondents answered that they would make a reservation on the reservation start date. Pre-orders for iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max will begin on Saturday, September 12th, and iPhone Duo will begin on Friday, October 16th. Be sure to check the reservation start time in advance so that you can get your desired model and color on the release date.
Source: iPhone Mania
