iPhone 17 release date rumors — 3 key dates to put on your calendars

Alleged dummies for (L - R) the iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17, in white — (Image credit: Sonny Dickson)

We're hopeful that Apple will tell us the iPhone 17's launch date as soon as next week. But until we get official confirmation, let's talk best guesses. We expect that the new iPhones will finally appear within just a couple of weeks. But seeing the iPhone 17 series officially for the first time is only part of the process.

We'll still have to wait for both pre-orders to open and for the phones to hit store shelves before you we can get our hands on one. Going by Apple's past iPhone launches, plus rumors and a little conjecture, here is what we can gather about when we'll see the iPhone 17 event, featuring the base model, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and brand new iPhone 17 Air — and when we might be able to buy one.

Announcement date at Apple Event (September 9)

Tim Cook at an Apple event — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Apple has, for the past several years, been consistent with the launch date of the iPhone, showing its latest models to the world in the second week of September. There have been exceptions to this — 2020 and the height of the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the iPhone 12's announcement to October that year — but mostly we can predict Apple's launches reliably.

If that wasn't strong enough evidence for you, then Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a reliable Apple tipster, has claimed Apple is looking at a launch between September 8 and 12. Since Apple normally does its launches in the first half of the week on a Tuesday, we can assume this year's will happen at the start of that suggested window.

There was a "leak" that seemingly confirmed a September 9 launch date, shared by AppleLeaker on X, showing a teaser in the Apple TV app. However, it's now confirmed that, despite the likelihood of this being the launch date, this particular screenshot was faked.

Pre-order date (September 12)

iPhone 17 render — (Image credit: Apple/ Tom's Guide)

To make sure it's ready for customers, or perhaps just to build excitement, Apple normally puts the new iPhones up for pre-orders on the Friday after the initial announcement. You can check out the store pages from announcement day, but you can't hit the buy button until later.

Pre-orders usually open at 8 a.m. EST/5 p.m. PST, so unless you're in Europe, you'll need to be up early to stake your claim on one. Otherwise, you might be in for a longer wait, as popular models and colors frequently come in and out of stock, sometimes leaving users to wait months for their phone to arrive.

On sale date (September 19)

This is the day we should finally see the iPhone 17 in stores, online and offline. You may not be able to grab one immediately, since retailers will have to take care of their pre-ordering customers first, but you can at least go and check one out in person if you need to handle the different iPhone 17s to help make your mind up.

This is another date that can sometimes vary — for example, the iPhone 14 Plus came two weeks later than the rest of its family. With a new Air model likely launching this year, it's possible that Apple will hold it back a little.

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Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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