Morgan Stanley analysts, led by Erik Woodring, are growing more optimistic about Apple’s iPhone 17 sales potential, raising their fiscal 2026 iPhone revenue forecast by 4% to $230.3 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $220 billion. The increase is driven primarily by stronger expected unit sales, with higher average selling prices also contributing.
Britney Nguyen for MarketWatch:
In the analysts’ view, the base iPhone 17 model is “a compelling upgrade option for older iPhone users that seek a capable yet relatively affordable device,” and lead times — the amount of time between an order being placed and being delivered — are getting longer for that model. They have a sense that initial demand for Apple’s new model is up relative to a year ago.
But Apple’s stock is up about 20% over the past three months, and the Morgan Stanley team thinks the stock price already factors in the strong early iPhone 17 demand. The path to further gains depends on clearing a higher bar, and the analysts think that’s possible, lifting their price target to $298.
Right now, what’s driving the iPhone 17 cycle are users looking for an upgrade. But next year could feature Apple’s first foldable iPhone and six new iPhone launches in the iPhone 18 cycle, which could entice consumers further and spur high-single-digit iPhone revenue growth for fiscal 2027 — even without factoring in the potential for artificial-intelligence features to spur upgrades.
Under the analysts’ bull case, which sees the stock going to $376, Apple would have to ship 270 million iPhones and top $10 in earnings per share for fiscal year 2027. In Morgan Stanley’s view, that target is “achievable if foldables and AI catalyze even stronger demand than we are contemplating in our base case.”
MacDailyNews Take: Come on, Morgan Stanley bull case!
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Tim Cook I posted this earlier in response to the notification of your Japan trip.
Its essential the Company does not waste the next three years (three years this years iPhone cycle and two years of the folding phone cycle) as you have wasted at least the last 10 in failing to innovate and dismissing those innovators you could not control or understand either by ignoring them or holding them back. This is an opportunity to stop the stock buy backs invest in technology you do not understand and people you don’t and can’t control and give the company a chance to innovate and survive . Time to step back or go.
Tim while you fly round the world wallowing in the publicity and success of the iPhone 17 launch even you with your controlling mind must accept that you can’t leverage this product forever. You are very powerful you control with a rod of steel the company and it’s seems all the innovators you don’t understand you get rid off.
You’ll no doubt find more success in the coming foldable market but don’t you think you should stop the buy back hire in some clever people and innovate.
The truth is you can’t so either the company falters further or you become chairman or step aside and become Chairman or go and make movies in holly wood. Being in charge of Apple gives you enormous power and history has shown those with enormous power who don’t listen to others unless they are yes men or women loose the plot and destroy the country or the business.
How many told you the car was not a good idea and squandering billions on the project while letting other innovative ideas go to the wall is a classic example. The sensible thing and step aside talk to some one you trust and dont dominate and listen to what they say( if there’s anyone left)
By Roland Moore-Colyer, published September 27, 2025
As the dust starts to settle around the launch and subsequent release of the iPhone 17 family and the slim iPhone Air, I’ve had time to ponder what these new phones mean for Apple and the phone arena as a whole, given Cupertino’s ability to set the standard for smartphones.
And I’m coming to the conclusion that we may have hit peak iPhone.
Now I’m not saying that there’s no scope for Apple to improve on its phones, especially as it and the likes of Samsung have been taking very iterative approaches to their recent generations of smartphones. But rather, I think the scope for innovation and obvious upgrades may have plateaued for Apple.
The reason for this, in my opinion, comes from a couple of factors. The first is the standard iPhone 17 now sports a 120Hz high-refresh rate display,