When Apple released the iPhone 17 in September, the timer started for the new flagship model breaking a record set 15 years ago. The record will take more than a year to break, but based on current rumors, the iPhone 17 will be the first to steal the crown.
iPhone 4 had an unusually long run
That record belongs to the iPhone 4, which went on sale in June 2010 and remained Apple’s top iPhone until October 2011. Because Apple shifted its flagship launch cycle from summer to fall that year, the iPhone 4 held its spot for nearly 16 months.
It was a particularly frustrating time for customers who planned to “wait for the iPhone 5.” Instead, Apple introduced the iPhone 4S, which looked nearly identical to the iPhone 4. The changes came inside: Siri debuted, the camera improved, and performance received a bump.
The iPhone 4 technically had several release moments as well. AT&T was the exclusive iPhone carrier in the U.S. and launched it first. Verizon followed as the second-ever U.S. carrier six months later. Then the long-delayed white model arrived after 10 months of setbacks.
