Of all the questions about the rumored iPhone 17, there’s one that could settle all others: When is the release date?
All of the predictions and speculation about battery power, colors, price and more will be resolved when Apple releases the new iPhone, including the rumored iPhone Air. But even the release date is the subject of leaks and rumors.
We’ve sifted through the whispers, analysis and conjecture so you can know when the new iPhone will be released and when you can expect to get your hands on one.
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When will the iPhone 17 be released?
For nearly a decade, Apple has announced its new iPhone lineup in early September. (The only exception was during COVID, when the release was pushed back to Oct. 23, 2020, for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro and Nov. 13, 2020, for the iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max.)
Historically, Apple has made the announcement on the first Tuesday of September after Labor Day. However, the first Tuesday in 2025 is the day after Labor Day, so Apple could push the dates for its iPhone event to Wednesday, Sept. 3 or Tuesday, Sept. 9. That would mean a release date of Sept. 12 or 19.
And because the new iPhone typically becomes available for preorder the Friday after, the preorder date could be either Sept. 5 or 12.
Here’s a chart for the potential dates based on past schedules. These are not official dates from Apple:
Potential iPhone 17 schedule
Announcement PreorderRelease Wednesday, Sept. 3 Sept. 5Sept. 12Tuesday, Sept. 9 Sept. 12Sept. 19
Will all of the new iPhones be released in the fall?
Based on last year’s release, Apple may release everything in the fall except its least expensive option — this year, the iPhone 16E. The iPhone 16E was released in February, and Apple is widely expected to follow the same format for the rumored iPhone 17.
That would mean the iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Air and the iPhone 17 base model — if that’s the lineup — would be released in September. The iPhone 17E — if it exists — would be released in February.
Apple’s future iPhone release dates
Apple is expected to change its release format with the rumored iPhone 18. Reports suggest that Apple will only release higher-end models in fall 2026 — iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, Air and a rumored new foldable iPhone — and release the rest of the line in winter 2027.
Why does Apple split iPhone release dates?
By pushing its top-of-the-line Pro and Pro Max models in September, Apple can capture much of the holiday shopping season. Releasing the more basic models in the winter allows a second crest of excitement, but diehard fans and holiday shoppers will have already spent their money on the pricier models in the fall.
