Summer's winding down, and that means Apple's big annual keynote is just around the corner, promising exciting new announcements about the iPhone 17 line-up, new Apple Watches, and more. While Apple hasn't revealed the rollout's full schedule yet, the rhythm of iPhone launches feels as predictable as the turning leaves. If history serves, we have a pretty good guess when you'll be able to get your hands on a shiny new iPhone 17.
Rumors suggest Apple will unveil its major fall product line-ups on September 9. If history serves, we expect the event to take place at the company’s Cupertino campus, where the iPhone 17 series will be revealed. Notably, Apple's rumored to shake up the iPhone lineup this time around by replacing the Plus model with the super-thin iPhone 17 Air.
In addition to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro, we expect Apple to debut the Apple Watch Series 11 and possibly the Apple Watch Ultra 3. A new AirPods Pro 3, an updated Apple TV 4K, and the long-awaited smart home hub HomePod 3 could also make an appearance.
Apple event announcement date | 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET on August 26 |
iPhone 17 launch event | September 9 |
iPhone 17, Air, and Pro available for pre-order | September 12 |
iOS 26 release date | September 15/16 |
iPhone 17, Air, and Pro on sale | September 19 |
Apple's yet to confirm the keynote's official date, but trusted voices like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Forbes suggest we should hear more on that by Tuesday, August 26. That's also when invites should start rolling out via email to select members of the press.
Looking at the time tables of previous iPhone generations, we're likely to see Apple open pre-orders for the iPhone 17 a few days later. Apple tends to roll out pre-orders on the Friday after the initial announcement, with sales going live the Friday after that. So if history serves, the iPhone 17 could go on sale on Friday, September 19.
As for iOS 26, the latest update expected to ship with the iPhone 17, that's easy to pin down as well. Last year, Apple pushed out iOS 18 on September 16, exactly one week after its annual keynote and four days before the iPhone 16 series went on sale. If Apple follows the same pattern, we can expect iOS 26 to arrive on either Monday, September 15, or Tuesday, September 16.
We don't have long to wait until we learn more. All signs point to Apple's iPhone 17 launch event being just a few short weeks away.
A cheaper iPhone 17 awaits
According to a recent leak, Apple could have a cheaper iPhone 17e waiting in the wings for next spring. That model is expected to get a design thats "changed significantly," a more powerful A19 chip and smaller notch.
We think most people will just go for the regular iPhone 17, but it will be nice to have a budget option. We just hope Apple lowers the price, as the current iPhone 16e costs $599.
What about the iPhone 18?
Looking a year ahead, the iPhone 18's been the subject of launch rumors too. According to multiple reports, Apple will launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18 Air and the first-ever iPhone Fold in fall 2026, with the iPhone 17e appearing before that in spring. However, the regular iPhone 18 won't appear until the following spring, alongside the iPhone 18e.
This is quite a bit different from previous iPhone launches, where Apple just brought everything out at once. But with more iPhone models being introduced to Apple's portfolio, it makes sense that Apple would want to stagger the announcements, splitting the premium iPhones from the cheaper ones.
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More from Tom's Guide
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