Pre-orders for the new models opened on September 13, with first availability from today.
The telcos won’t comment on how many iPhones they received in their first wave of stock, however. Historically, local supply has been limited for the first few weeks.
Estimated delivery times on Apple’s direct sales website vary by model, colour and storage. At the time of writing, they included immediate shipping for an iPhone Air with 256GB, two to three weeks for an iPhone 17 with 256GB and three to four weeks for an iPhone 17 Pro Max 2TB.
Price?
Apple’s iPhone 17 range starts at $1699. The ultra-thin iPhone Air costs from $2149. The top-of-the-line iPhone Pro Max (pictured) costs from $2549 with 256GB of storage to $4149 with the maximum two terabytes.
The pricing is robust but, allowing for the pandemic inflation surge, in line with previous models. The iPhone 11, released in September 2019, started at $1349 or $1695 in today’s dollars.
For the more budget-conscious, Apple also has the iPhone 16e still on sale from $1199 (see a feature list here).
As is the norm for the relatively scarce first wave of stock, Spark, One NZ and 2degrees require you to sign up for a contract plan if you want to be one of the first to get your hands on the new iPhone 17 models.
The ultra-thin iPhone Air has a smaller battery, but supports a $199 MagSafe Battery ($199) that clips on magnetically to extend its life on busy days. Photo / Getty Images
All three say the new models won’t be available to purchase outright until pre-orders are filled.
All three are offering interest-free repayments and chunky trade-in deals (2degrees, for example, will give you up to $1250 for an iPhone 16 Pro Max with 256GB of storage).
2degrees incentives include a discount of up to $400 if you commit to a $65 per month 12, 24 or 36-month plan (including 80GB of data) or $700 if you sign up for an $80 per month unlimited data plan.
Spark says by trading in an iPhone 15 Pro 128GB with a minimum $99 deposit, a customer can save $1200 on a new iPhone 17 Pro with an interest-free plan, or save $400 on any iPhone 17 device purchased on an interest-free plan with a minimum $99 deposit. You have to sign up for a $65 Pay Monthly plan to access the deals.
One NZ says, “Customers purchasing the iPhone 17 series can save at least $500 over their 24 or 36-month interest-free term when they sign up to a monthly $85 One Plan, or $300 over their 24 or 36 month interest-free term with a monthly $70 Endless Plus plan.”
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Herman Visagie, head of the Telecommunications Dispute Resolution (TDR) scheme, said people should stop and think in instances where they needed to upgrade to a more expensive plan to gain access to telco deals.
He said it might be a good idea to pay more money up front to reduce the ongoing monthly payments, or try to buy the device outright from Apple.
Once more stock arrived, the telcos would no longer require people to sign up to a specific plan to get an iPhone 17, Visagie said.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.