If you've been on the fence about whether or not to upgrade to the iPhone 17 when it arrives later this year, a new report may have just given you the go-ahead to mash that buy button for the new phone. And the reason would have very little to do with this year's models.
Instead, it all comes down to the timing of future phone releases out of Cupertino, with Apple reportedly shifting when it will roll out some new models starting in 2026.
For all we know, this fall's iPhone launch will go ahead as per usual, with Apple introducing all of its new models at once — a standard iPhone, two iPhone 17 Pro models and a brand new iPhone 17 Air is what the rumors are telling us to expect. But as reported by The Information, thing's change pretty radically after that.
Apple is said to be contemplating a staggered phone launch going forward, meaning it would have two big launch windows in the first and second half of the year. The first half would see the introduction of the less expensive models like the regular iPhone and the newly launched "e" variant that replaced the iPhone SE earlier this year. Later in the year, we'd get the higher-end Pro models, the iPhone Air and — presuming it makes a 2026 debut as rumored — a foldable iPhone.
If I'm reading that report from The Information correctly, that tells me the smoke will have barely cleared on the iPhone 17's release before we see an iPhone 18 arriving six months later. And if that's the case, it tells me that next year's iPhone may not be all that when compared to the model coming out this year.
What the iPhone 17 has going for it
Even without Apple's rejiggered release schedule to consider, you can make a case for an iPhone 17 upgrade based on the rumors surrounding the yet-to-be-announced phone.
The biggest change — one touted by numerous sources — involves the phone's display, and it's not just the possibility of the screen growing ever so slightly from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 16 to 6.3 inches. Rather, it's the promise that at long last, the standard iPhone will feature a display with a variable refresh rate.
Since the iPhone 13 Pro models arrived in 2021, Apple has equipped its high-end models with fast-refreshing displays, meaning they can ramp up to 120Hz when there's a lot of on-screen activity. The current models, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, can even scale down to a 1Hz refresh rate when things are more static to help preserve battery life.
The standard iPhone — and whatever mini or Plus model Apple has released beside it in that time — remains stuck at a fixed 60Hz refresh. That becomes very noticeable if you put a fast-refreshing iPhone Pro next to the standard model, as the former will be able to scroll more smoothly and produce more immersive graphics on games that support 120Hz refresh rates.
It might not be so bad if other devices had fixed refresh rates, too. But devices in the iPhone 16's price range — notably the Galaxy S25 and the Pixel 9 — can scale up to 120Hz as circumstances warrant. Even much cheaper phones than the iPhone 16 now support fast-refreshing displays. Apple is really behind the curve here.
But as I noted, that's likely to change with the iPhone 17. Multiple sources tip the new phone to use an LTPO panel for its screen, meaning the iPhone 17 is positioned to offer the same ProMotion display that's been a mainstay of the Pro models for four years running.
That alone could justify an iPhone 17 upgrade. But we're counting on other improvements, too, including an upgraded front camera and new chipset. Specifically, this year's iPhones should get a new A19 system-on-chip, and while it apparently won't be built on a new 2nm process as initially rumored, the A19 should deliver some performance and power efficiency improvements over recent Apple silicon.
What's left for the iPhone 18?
Assuming all that comes to pass with the iPhone 17, what does Apple do for an encore with the iPhone 18? And will it be able to introduce compelling changes so quickly after the iPhone 17's debut?
The bet here is that it can't. You'd expect an A20 chipset to power the 2026 phones, and that silicon would be a 2nm offering, meaning its transistors would be bunched closer together for more efficient performance than the A19. But unless you're really fussy about performance, that wouldn't seem like a reason to hold off on getting the iPhone 17 if that phone already has the features you really want.
If we're guessing about iPhone 17 features this far ahead of a fall launch, we're really guessing about the iPhone 18, as you won't find many rumors emerging about Apple's 2026 plans just yet. But logic dictates that whatever features Apple has ready are going to find its way into a phone coming out sooner rather than six months later.
iPhone 17 outlook
Basing your phone upgrade decisions on what may or may not be included in future phones is an exercise in frustration — there's always something better looming on the horizon. So may advice after more than two decades in the tech business is to get the device you want when you need it and not worry about rumored features that are still on the drawing board.
Assuming that reports of Apple shaking up its iPhone release schedule are true, my advice is doubly true for the iPhone 17. That model is already sounding like a winning upgrade based on the rumors we've heard up to this point. And if there's another phone arriving right after it in early 2026, I can't imagine too much buyer's remorse gripping you by then.
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