For all the buzz the iPhone 7 and its lack of a headphone jack generated in the last couple weeks, it looks like it did not quite measure up to its predecessor’s popularity.
According to data from digital intelligence provider SimilarWeb, the release of the newest smartphone from Apple “failed to match the traffic peak of the iPhone 6 launch.” Despite the iPhone 7’s release made for a 152 percent spike in one-day worldwide traffic to Apple’s online home — and represented the biggest online traffic in two years of launches — it looks as though the public was more jazzed about the iPhone 6 than the iPhone 7, all things considered.
In conducting their analysis, SimilarWeb analyzed surges of traffic to Apple during the last four iPhone launches — the iPhone 7, iPhone SE, iPhone 6S, and iPhone 6. The company measured worldwide visits via desktop, and while Apple may be known for its mobile devices, desktop visits still comprised about two-thirds of worldwide traffic to the site.
When the iPhone 7 was unveiled, worldwide visits to Apple’s homepage shot up from 13 million desktop hits on September 6 to 32.8 million visits worldwide on its launch date, September 7. The U.S. alone saw a jump from 3.8 million on September 6 to 9.4 million the next day, a 147 percent one-day rise in traffic.
Related: Does the iPhone 7 have a “hissing” problem?
But as impressive as those numbers sound, it is not quite at the same level as Apple achieved back in 2014. Two years ago, Apple saw a 195 percent increase in one-day worldwide traffic when compared to the previous day, with more visits overall. On September 8, 2014, Apple saw 17.49 million visits, but on the September 9 launch day, this figure shot up to 51.5 million visits. In the U.S, SimilarWeb found a similar story — hits increased from 6.2 million before launch to 19.9 million on the day of launch, representing a 219 percent one-day increase. the iPhone 7 launch has certainly proven far more popular than the most recent previous launch of the iPhone SE. When that phone was unveiled on March 21, there was only an 85 percent rise in one-day worldwide visits.
The iPhone 7 launch has proven more popular than the most recent previous launch of the iPhone SE. When that phone was unveiled on March 21, there was only an 85 percent rise in one-day worldwide visits.
But if rumors are to be believed, everything will pale in comparison to Apple’s next big iPhone launch, which will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the phone. So stay tuned.
