Updated Aug. 4 with further details of what’s predicted for this September with further analysis.
Apple’s next iPhones will be unveiled next month, that is, September 2025. But exactly when? A new report adds an extra couple of possibilities to the mix.
Apple iPhone 16: here’s when the iPhone 17 is expected to land.
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In a new post for Cnet, Tiffany Connors writes about the possible variations. I’ve previously written that I am sure that the Apple keynote that reveals the phones will be on Tuesday, Sept. 9, though one day either side is also likely.
The new report also homes in on the week before, saying that Wednesday, Sept. 3 is also likely.
“Historically, Apple has made the announcement on the first Tuesday of September after Labor Day, according to CNET Senior Editor Patrick Holland, who’s reviewed mobile phones for a decade. However, the first Tuesday in 2025 is the day after Labor Day, so Apple could push the dates for its iPhone event to Wednesday, Sept. 3, or Tuesday, Sept. 9. That would mean a release date of Sept. 12 or 19, Holland said,” Cnet claims.
This is interesting because it’s one of the first reports that suggests Sept. 3 as the keynote date. I absolutely agree that if the release is in the first week of September, then it certainly won’t be on the Tuesday, because of Labor Day.
However, lovely though it would be to see the new phones earlier rather than later, I believe Apple will avoid this week.
Not least, the large-scale consumer electronics show, IFA, is happening that week in Berlin. This is a big event, on the same scale as or bigger than the annual CES in Las Vegas. Apple will not want to shout above the noise of so much happening in the same week.
Which leaves Sept. 9 in the frame again.
But Cnet raises something else: in previous years, Apple has staggered the release dates of its products, even though the unveiling has happened on the same day.
The iPhone XR arrived several weeks after the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max in 2018, and the iPhone 12 mini landed almost a month after the iPhone 12 in 2020.
Since at least one of the phones, the iPhone 17 Air, is a completely new design, could it be a later arrival than the others? There have been no reports of this yet, and it’s worth noting that at least three of the four phones are expected to have completely new designs this year. Even so, at this point, it can’t be ruled out.
Alex Lee, Senior Tech Critic at The Independent, has also weighed in on the release date, saying that “it’s easy to predict the release date for the iPhone 17,” before adding, “I’m expecting Apple to unveil the iPhone 17 sometime between 8 and 10 September, most likely on Tuesday 9 September, with pre-orders going live on Friday 12 September.” Lee also says this could be the biggest shake-up in years for Apple, commenting on the new slim iPhone to be added to the range and significant upgrades to cameras.
Other sources seem also to be focusing on similar dates. A report at MSN says that the iPhone 27 release date has been confirmed (it really hasn’t) before honing in on the thought that “according to recent reports, Apple’s iPhone 17 keynote will most likely take place on Sept. 3 or 9,” which doesn’t sound like confirmation at all.
Nevertheless, it shows that the expected dates are in the same range, and leave me to believe that Sept. 9 is the day.
Apple iPhone 17 Pre-Orders May Be Across Several Dates
If all four iPhones are set to be released on the same date, then pre-orders will almost certainly open on the Friday after the keynote, that is, Friday, Sept. 12 unless the announcement is the week before. However, if any of the handsets are delayed by more than a week or two, expect pre-orders to open later for those models. My gut tells me that if there’s any delay, it will be brief.
One other wrinkle to look out for: sometimes Apple allows customers to put the iPhone of their choice (model, storage capacity, color) into their online shopping bag the night before the online sales go live. That way, the next day, they’re ready to press the Buy button the first moment they can. We’ll know soon if that’s the case this year.
And as for the time, that is to be confirmed, but if Apple follows precedent, it will likely be about 5 a.m. or 6.am Pacific, or whatever that works out to be in your time zone.
Apple iPhone 17 Reviews
If the iPhones are unveiled on Sept. 9 or around that date, then reviews from national press will appear the following week, before the phones go on sale. Most likely, these will appear on Tuesday, Sept. 16 or Wednesday, Sept. 17, with the time to be confirmed. Previously, this has been at 6 a.m. Pacific.
Apple iPhone 17 Series Release Date
Assuming the iPhones are unveiled on or around Tuesday, Sept. 9, the actual onsale date will be the following week. Apple always favors Fridays to put its flagship iPhones to go on sale, which will mean Friday, Sept. 19. Right now, that seems sure to be the date to mark in your calendar.
As for the time, that is usually early in the morning, wherever you are. So, if you’re in New Zealand, you’ll be able to pick up the phone in your local Apple Store much sooner than in Los Angeles, say, thanks to the time difference.
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