This year's iPhone launch event is not like its predecessors. Rather than releasing a whole wave of new iPhones, Apple is ignoring the non-Pro models. This means the iPhone 18 likely won't be arriving until sometime in early 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 as the de-factor entry-level iPhone flagship for a few more months.
That throws a whole wrench into the established pattern of Apple events. Normally new iPhones mean that the Pro models get discontinued, while the non-Pro models stick around for another year at a reduced price — usually $100 or so less than before. We're not having a traditional iPhone event this year and that leaves a bunch of unanswered questions.
What happens when there's no new standard model to take over? Is the iPhone 17 going to get that same price cut after the launch of iPhone 18 Pro? Will the iPhone 16 still be available at the Apple Store after tomorrow?
Apple doesn't really offer big discounts
Apple products don't go on sale very often, and when they do it's almost always from a third party retailer that's knocked a few bucks off the normal price during a big sales event — or following the launch of a new model.
Apple itself usually avoids this tactic, and offers its products at full price all year round. Even the company's Black Friday deals typically involve free gift cards after you've purchased something else at full price. The annual iPhone price cut is usually the most we can get out of a the company, and that's only because Apple keeps it around as a slightly cheaper alternative to a newer model.
Without the iPhone 18 to take center stage, there's absolutely no reason why Apple would discount the iPhone 17. A price cut at this stage might help sell more iPhone 17s before the holidays, but that's likely to come at the cost of iPhone 18 sales when the phone does eventually launch.
Not to mention the fact the reason the iPhone 18 was delayed is because Apple reportedly wants to push people into buying the more expensive Pro models. The last thing Apple is going to do is mess that strategy up by lowering the price of the older phone. And considering it hasn't officially been replaced, there's little need to incentivize sales by offering a lower price tag.
So the iPhone 17 continues, existing as the lower cost and less impressive alternative to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Albeit with a slightly bigger age gap than normal.
We can't forget about price hikes either
2026 has been the year of increased prices in the tech world, and it's mostly down to the fact the cost of RAM and storage has gone through the roof. AI companies have been buying up all the supply, and that means everyone else had to start paying out of the nose for such basic components.
For this reason, Apple increased the price of most of its products earlier this summer, with only the iPhone and Apple Watch being spared. But it was clear that the iPhone was on borrowed time, and that price hikes would almost certainly happen during the iPhone launch event.
With that in mind, it's even less likely that Apple would reduce the price of the iPhone 17. If iPhones are now more expensive to make, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to start slashing prices. More so when you remember that the iPhone 18 likely would have suffered a price hike as well, which would have made an iPhone 17 price cut even more unlikely.
In other words, no matter which way you look at it, it was unlikely that the iPhone 17 would be getting discounted following the Surprise and shine launch event. If you think about it, considering what usually happens to standard model iPhones, keeping the price static is just another kind of price hike.
Bottom line
If you were planning on buying an iPhone 17 anytime soon, then you're going to be disappointed by the lack of discounts. With no iPhone 18 coming, there's little reason for Apple to actually drop the price. Especially not with the ever-rising cost of making phones.
That said, this doesn't necessarily mean that you won't be able to find iPhone 17 discounts at all. Third party retailers and carriers already offer deals, since they're going to want to prioritize the newest models. That means we could see money off the total cost of the iPhone 17, or enticing deals that give you discounted rates when you sign up for a multi-year phone plan, or trade in your older device.
As for what happens next year when the iPhone 18 is released, that's anyone's guess. With the lower-cost iPhone 18e set to launch around the same time, that could be the end of the line for iPhone 17. Or Apple could offer some kind of discount to help sell whatever iPhone 17 stock still remains in six months time. As for the iPhone 16, your guess is as good as mine.
We're just going to have to wait and see how that pans out.
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