Why Apple's New iPhone Air Is a Major Catalyst for the Stock

Apple (AAPL -1.41%) unveiled a brand-new iPhone Air on Sept. 9, alongside its latest flagship iPhones, new Apple Watch models, and AirPods Pro 3. The iPhone Air slots between the mainstream and Pro lines with an emphasis on design -- it is Apple's thinnest iPhone yet -- and pro-level performance. Preorders for the all-new iPhone Air start Sept. 12, with availability on Sept. 19, at a $999 starting price.

This matters for investors because Apple's growth story continues to lean on the iPhone. The device is still the tech company's largest business by revenue, and major design updates have historically supported stronger upgrade cycles. With iPhone momentum already improving, a fresh look and feel can help sustain that trend into the holidays and beyond.

iPhone growth is already reaccelerating

In the quarter ended June 28 (Apple's fiscal third quarter), Apple's iPhone revenue rose 13% year over year to $44.6 billion -- a June-quarter record. That was a marked acceleration from the March quarter, when iPhone revenue increased about 2% to $46.8 billion. Companywide, total revenue grew 10% in the June period, while services revenue set another record. These data points underscore a healthier backdrop heading into the product launch.

Why does a stronger iPhone cycle have an outsized impact? First, iPhone remains Apple's largest segment by revenue; services is second.

In the June quarter, iPhone generated $44.6 billion and services produced $27.4 billion, both up 13% year over year. Services also carry substantially higher gross margins -- 75.6% in the June quarter -- which magnifies the profit flywheel as the installed base grows. Put simply, more iPhones in use leads to more App Store, advertising, and subscription revenue over time.

The platform effect is powerful. Earlier in fiscal 2025, management highlighted a new high of more than 2.35 billion active devices, and management has indicated in subsequent quarters that the active installed base continues to hit new highs each period. A larger base makes each subsequent cycle more productive as more users upgrade and spend inside Apple's ecosystem.

Why iPhone Air can extend the cycle

Design changes tend to nudge fence-sitters to upgrade, and iPhone Air is explicitly a design play. Apple calls it "impossibly thin and light," with a 5.6-millimeter titanium body, a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120Hz, and a 48-megapixel main camera. John Ternus, Apple's hardware chief, put it plainly: "The all-new iPhone Air is so powerful, yet impossibly thin and light, that you really have to hold it to believe it's real." That kind of tangible difference can motivate upgrades, especially with trade-in programs that lower out-of-pocket costs.

History supports this dynamic. The overhauled iPhone 6, with its rounded design, led to an incredible 52% year-over-year increase in iPhone revenue. The flat-edged iPhone 12 lineup helped drive 39% iPhone revenue growth in fiscal 2021. New form factors do not guarantee a "supercycle," but they often correlate with stronger demand.

There is also a second-order benefit: Each upgrade expands the installed base of modern devices that can run Apple's latest software and services. That should raise engagement and spending per user, which shows up in services growth and, ultimately, higher cash generation. These dynamics -- steady iPhone demand, a growing installed base, and high-margin services -- help support robust shareholder returns.

While I do expect the iPhone Air, along with Apple's other new iPhone models, to help keep up its stronger sales momentum into next fiscal year, there are risks that could weigh on the stock.

First, product margins can face pressure from tariffs and component costs; Apple's latest filings note that tariffs weighed on product gross margin percentages in the June quarter. Second, valuation is not cheap: at roughly 36 times trailing earnings and about a $3.5 trillion market cap as of today, execution needs to remain strong.

iPhone Air arrives with a differentiated, premium design, just as iPhone growth is picking up and services continue to scale. This should fuel growth in Apple's installed base of active devices and ultimately bolster the company's high-margin services segment, supporting stronger profitability over time. Taken together, that combination may help drive healthier revenue and earnings trends going into next year.