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.
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Watch this: iPhone 17 Event Clues: Everything to Expect on Sept. 9 06:38
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:
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