Smartphone launches are among the most anticipated phenomena in the technology industry and tend to influence the mood of both consumers and investors. Apple (AAPL), especially, has always used these occasions to demonstrate how its new generation of iPhones, packed with technological innovations, will further cement its grip on the luxury smartphone industry.
On Sept. 9, Apple launched the iPhone 17 series, comprising the iPhone Air, the regular iPhone 17, and Pro variants. The devices feature new designs, fast A19 silicon, improved camera systems, and Apple Intelligence upgrades, emphasizing the company's effort to fuse smooth hardware with artificial intelligence (AI) functionality. The release highlights the idea discussed by Apple that the product remains at the center of the growth narrative despite the company assessing the potential of the stock to continue to appreciate.
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The question to shareholders and would-be buyers, now that the iPhone 17 has been unveiled: is it a good time to grab some of these shares? Let's find out.
How Did Wall Street Respond to the New iPhone Launch?
Wall Street's response was muted. AAPL stock slipped about 1.5% on the day of the event and then plunged roughly 3% on Sept. 10. In two trading days, the company lost over $100 billion in market value as investors parsed the news. Reporters noted that many features had leaked ahead of time, so much of the bullish anticipation "buy the rumor" was already priced in.
In particular, market observers cited the lack of a breakthrough AI feature (no Siri overhaul until 2026) and the absence of a "wow" product as reasons for a post‑launch pullback. Overall, the post-launch "sell-the-news" reaction was modest; Apple was up about 3 to 4% the first two days of earnings week after its July results, but the stock did trim the small post-event gains it had.
From a broader perspective, Apple's stock performance was volatile in 2025. Early in the year, amid rising U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports and concerns that Apple lagged in artificial intelligence, AAPL fell sharply. Until now, Apple has been down roughly 6% year-to-date (YTD), underperforming other "Magnificent Seven" tech giants.