Over 30% of iPhone owners will bail on the iPhone 17 for a foldable – and I'm not surprised

It's September. And this means that in just a few days, we'll be treated to yet another new iPhone model. On September 9th, Apple will host its annual event, dropping details and showcasing all of the top features of the upcoming iPhone 17 series, which will no doubt be the next best iPhone for photography.

These announcements are often super exciting for Apple fans and those hoping to upgrade their current camera phone, although a brand new survey from a company called SellCell has revealed that, despite strong demand, Apple customer loyalty is being tested more than ever this year. Could this be down to stronger competition from some of the best camera phones we've already seen in 2025?

SellCell's latest survey asked 2,000+ active iPhone users the difficult questions of whether they'll be upgrading to the iPhone 17 (apparently 68.3% plan on it), or if rival devices from Samsung or Google could be more tempting. It also explores topics including the rise in popularity of foldable smartphones (of which Apple has none), as well as AI features, price tariffs, and eSIM tech when it comes to the upgrade decision process. Let's dive into the survey findings.

According to SellCell: 72.9% of iPhone owners say they are more satisfied today than in past years, but over a quarter (27.1%) feel Apple has “lost its edge” versus rivals.

If you ask me, as a biased Samsung fan and proud owner of the S24 Ultra, I agree that Apple has fallen behind when it comes to advancements with the iPhone series. It was late to the AI party, beaten out by Samsung's Galaxy AI and Google Gemini dominating the space, and I think it will seriously struggle to maintain interest and keep its edge if it remains too stubborn to release a foldable iPhone, or even accessories like an iRing. The demand is there, so give the people what they're missing.

The survey also found that almost half of iPhone users (49%) state that nothing about Android appeals to them — yet, the majority also admit that Android is becoming more attractive.

If Apple were to wait until 2026 to release a new iPhone model, 20.1% of iPhone users surveyed said they would consider switching to Samsung foldables instead, and 10.2% would consider Google devices. That's 30.3% of iPhone users considering a switch. More specifically, 3.3% of those surveyed said they are holding out for a foldable iPhone (keep dreaming).

People care less about AI in phones and more about hardware

From the survey results shared by SellCell, it seems that the verdict and upgrade intent is less about Apple intelligence features, and more consistent with hardware improvements, such as battery life, as well as the price with concerns over tariffs having a greater impact. The key takeaways from the survey found that:

• Battery life is the top driver for upgrades (53.2%), way ahead of AI features at only 7.1% as a reason for upgrade.
• Price remains the biggest barrier to upgrades (68.9%), followed closely by users being satisfied with current devices (71.7%).
• Tariffs could become a major curveball: 36.8% would hold off on buying if prices rise, and 29.2% say it would depend on the increase.
• 68.3% of iPhone owners say they will upgrade to iPhone 17 at launch. Within that, 38.1% will choose a Pro or Pro Max, 16.7% the standard model, and 13.5% the ultra-thin Air.
• 47.5% would accept less battery life for a thinner device.

It's interesting that Apple's latest Air entry is actually the least anticipated by consumers, accounting for only 13.5% of those surveyed intending to purchase one. The interest in a thinner device is another thing to note, as I've never thought that iPhones were particularly bulky, but the iPhone 17 Air is rumoured to be the thinnest iPhone ever – so this statistic actually contradicts the lower percentage of those interested in owning it.

Are you one of the 68.3% of iPhone owners planning to upgrade to the iPhone 17, or are you holding out for something better? Let us know in the comments below.