The statement is directly confirmed by multiple credible sources. A Reuters report (Source 8) explicitly states the iPhone 17 series 'outsold its predecessor by 14% in early China, US sales,' attributing the data to the research firm Counterpoint. This claim is corroborated by reports from Counterpoint itself (Source 12) and several other news outlets (Sources 5, 7, 10), which all confirm a significantly stronger sales launch for the iPhone 17 compared to the iPhone 16 in both markets.