iPhone 17 Should Be Official Tuesday, but When Will It Ship? We’re Tracking the Release
If Apple follows its usual release schedule from recent years, we can narrow down the exact day the new phones will hit your hands.
After Apple presumably unveils the iPhone 17 at next week’s Awe-Dropping Apple event on Sept. 9, the familiar waiting game begins: a few days until preorders open, followed by what can feel like an endless slog before the new phones finally arrive. But when exactly?
We don’t know everything yet. Despite months of leaks, Apple still holds onto the key details, such as shipping dates, until the official announcement. Once the rumored iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, Pro and Pro Max are actually revealed, we’ll be able to confirm speculation about colors, display, cameras and more. We’ll also learn how much the new iPhone will cost, which is also still up in the air.
Read more: Should You Buy an iPhone 16 or Wait for the iPhone 17?
Keep in mind, the preorder and release dates we’re about to mention are based on Apple’s past launch schedules. The iPhone 17 timeline is still speculative, and Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Watch this: iPhone 17 Event Clues: Everything to Expect on Sept. 9
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 in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when the release was pushed back to Oct. 23 for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro, and Nov. 13 for the iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max.
A supposed leak reported on by German site iPhone-Ticker lines up with expert opinion, and we cannot verify these dates because we don’t have access to the internal documents iPhone-Ticker is sourcing. But if these leaks are true, they suggest that preorders for the iPhone 17 will begin on Sept. 12, with a Sept. 19 release.
Here’s a chart for the release dates of previous iPhone models:
Previous iPhone release dates
| iPhone series | Announcement | Preorder | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16E | Feb. 19, 2025 | Feb. 21, 2025 | Feb. 28, 2025 |
| iPhone 16 series | Sept. 9, 2024 | Sept. 13, 2024 | Sept. 20, 2024 |
| iPhone 15 series | Sept. 12, 2023 | Sept. 15, 2023 | Sept. 22, 2023 |
| iPhone 14 series | Sept. 7, 2022 | Sept. 9, 2022 | Sept. 16, 2022 |
| iPhone 14 Plus | Sept. 7, 2022 | Sept. 9, 2022 | Oct. 7, 2022 |
| iPhone SE | March 8, 2022 | March 11, 2022 | March 18, 2022 |
| iPhone 13 series | Sept. 14, 2021 | Sept. 17, 2021 | Sept. 24, 2021 |
To see this year’s dates in the same chart format (because some of us prefer an easy-to-read chart), the schedule looks like this. The preorder and release are not official dates from Apple:
Potential iPhone 17 schedule
| Announcement | Preorder | Release |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Sept. 9, 10 a.m. PT | Friday, Sept. 12 | Friday, Sept. 19 |
Will all of the new iPhones be released in September?
Based on last year’s release, Apple may release everything in the fall except its least expensive option — this year, the iPhone 17E. The iPhone 16E was released in February, and Apple is widely expected to follow the same format for the rumored iPhone 17E.
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.
