For the first time ever since Apple began making a larger phablet model with its "Plus" branded iPhones, the bigger edition has outsold the regular-sized model with the iPhone 8 series, according to a report from industry analysis firm Canalys.

The first iPhone Plus model was the iPhone 6 Plus, and with that edition and all other subsequent editions the regular sized iPhone has always sold more units...until now. In 2017's Q3, when the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were introduced (along with the iPhone X), the iPhone 8 Plus has sold more units overall; 6.3 million against the regular iPhone 8's 5.4 million, for a combined total of 11.8 million.

As part of a broader sales picture, however, it's still not the best news for Apple. We heard reports in recent weeks following the iPhone launches that carrier networks were seeing very low demand for the iPhone 8 series, to the extent that customers were either buying older and cheaper iPhone 7 handsets instead, or choosing to wait for the iPhone X. Sales are reportedly so poor by comparison to previous iPhone launches and continued sales of the iPhone 7 series, that Apple has reportedly dialled back production of the iPhone 8 series by as much as 50%.

Canalys' report sheds some more light on those claims. It shows that for the Q3 2017 period the iPhone 7 sold 13 million units alone (not counting the iPhone 7 Plus), and even the iPhone 6s sold better. iPhone SE sales also picked up in this period, suggesting the iPhone 8 may have even lost out to Apple's low-end model. The iPhone 7 13 million figure also nearly hits the 14 million units it sold in its own opening quarter in 2016, so the iPhone 7 has outsold the iPhone 8 both in its own opening sales period last year, and in the iPhone 8's opening sales period this year. Ouch.

The report says it's possible the price cut on the iPhone 7 after the iPhone 8 launch may have meant Apple shot itself in the foot.