Updated July 16 with further details of the exact release date for the iPhone 17 series.
Last month, I assessed exactly when the next iPhone series, would go on sale. Now, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg has had his say. Happily, it’s along the same lines, so perhaps we can begin to be confident when the iPhone will land. Read on for the exact schedule in every detail, including new information such as when pre-orders will go live and when reviews are likely to appear.
Apple iPhone 16: when will the iPhone 17 go on sale, exactly?
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And, remember, it’s not just the iPhone that will be announced: we’re expecting something from the Apple Watch team, too.
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In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman seeks to answer the question: “When will Apple hold its iPhone 17 launch event?”
Apple iPhone 17: Date, Time And Place Of The Keynote
Although he went into much less detail than my report (and I admit it, brevity is the soul of wit), he lighted on similar dates.
“The company usually unveils its new iPhones the week after Labor Day. If that holds — and there’s no reason to believe it won’t — you can pencil in the keynote for the week of Sept. 8,” he began.
This continues to make sense to me: the week before would be when the large-scale electronics trade show IFA takes place in Berlin and it’s already thought that there will be some big announcements there. Apple won’t want to share the spotlight with the myriad other brands popping up in Berlin.
“In the past, Apple has typically favored Tuesdays, but there have been some exceptions in recent years,” Gurman goes on. He’s referring to the fact that last year’s event, against most people’s expectations, including his, was held on a Monday. I’m quietly delighted that I did report the right date in advance. Forgive me a moment of conceited humility, please.
“So it could be that Monday (the 8th), though I suspect the 9th or 10th is probably more likely. Apple never holds events on Fridays, so you can rule out the 12th, and it has avoided launching new products on Sept. 11,” Gurman concludes.
This is the new information here. I had only briefly considered the Monday, but Gurman is giving it more credence. However, we both think that Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 are more likely. As I said before, my money is on the keynote happening on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at the absolutely regular time that it always does, that is, 10 a.m. Pacific. And the location will, I’m sure, be in the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino.
Apple iPhone 17 Pre-Orders
Assuming that date is right, then other parts of the puzzle fall into place. First of all, pre-orders are almost certain to open on the following Friday, which is Sept. 12. Usually, this means you can log on to buy at 1 p.m. local time, wherever you are, on that day.
In the past, customers can jump the line the night before pre-orders open — Thursday, Sept. 11 in this case — so they can save the color, storage level and model of iPhone in their online shopping bag and complete the purchase when pre-orders open the following day.
Apple iPhone 17 Reviews Appear
This is something of a moveable feast, because there will almost certainly also be reviews of the other products announced at the keynote to factor in. Right now, were’ expect Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE third generation. Those three reviews will likely have embargoes that lift on the same day, while the iPhone 17’s four expected phones will see reviews appear on another day.
If the keynote date is Tuesday, Sept. 9 as I believe (or other day that week), then the reviews will follow in the next week, just before the release date.
I’d expect iPhone reviews on Tuesday, Sept. 16 with Apple Watch reviews the following day, Wednesday, Sept. 17, though it’s possible the two dates will be swapped between products. But I think that’s unlikely.
Apple iPhone 17 Release Date
Gurman only talks about the keynote, but when will the onsale date be?
I still think the iPhone 17 series will go on sale on Friday, Sept.19.
Alex Lee at the Independent has now added his own thoughts about the release date, and these also coincide with Gurman’s and mine.
“Apple almost always announces its new line of smartphones on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday in the second week of September. To give you an idea, the iPhone 16 was announced on Monday 9 September 2024, the iPhone 15 on Tuesday 5 September 2023, the iPhone 14 on Wednesday 7 September 2022, and the iPhone 13 on Tuesday 14 September 2021,” he says.
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