Apple iPhone 17 event: Release date, launch date, colors and everything else you need to know<p>We already know the <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ios-26-beta-release-how-to-download-it-on-your-iphone-new-apple-features-like-liquid-glass-and-more-135749961.html?feature=disableNCPValidation">changes coming to our phones with iOS 26[/url], but we're super excited to see what Apple's newest iPhone 17 lineup will look like. That's still more than a month away — assuming Apple sticks to its usual release schedule — so for now we can speculate what the new phones will look like. As with most unreleased iPhone models, rumors and leaks have trickled in about the hardware side ahead of the official introduction. Here's what we're expecting and what we can reasonably assume we'll get from Cupertino in September.</p>
<h2 id="jump-link-what-are-the-latest-iphone-17-rumors-and-reports">What are the latest iPhone 17 rumors and reports?</h2>
<p>Surprisingly, the latest rumor isn't about the actual iPhone 17 details themselves, but rather
when they'll finally be showcased. <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/08/05/apple-iphone-17-event-set-september-9/">
MacRumors highlighted[/url] a story originally reported by <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="
https://www.iphone-ticker.de/iphone-17-vorstellung-wohl-am-9-verkaufsstart-am-19-september-261445/">iphone-ticker.de[/url] that the Apple iPhone 17 event could be Tuesday, September 9, according to information gleaned from German mobile phone providers. </p>
<span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>While the iPhone events typically take place around the second week of September, we won't know the actual date until Apple makes the official announcement.</p>
<h2 id="jump-link-when-will-the-iphone-17s-be-announced">When will the iPhone 17 series be announced?</h2>
<p>Most years, the flagship smartphones are introduced in September. It's a little early to have the specific dates; some years, Apple only gives a week or two of lead time between sending invites and hosting the event. But years of past precedent show that sometime in September should be when the 17 models make their debut. This family of smartphones may be the last to follow that trend, however. There have been hints that the introduction of the iPhone 18 collection in 2026 will be <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-reportedly-wants-to-split-up-the-iphones-release-schedule-164737099.html">split[/url] into a pro-tier announcement in the fall and a standard model announcement the following spring.</p>
<h2 id="jump-link-what-will-the-new-iphone-17-lineup-include">What will the new iPhone 17 lineup include?</h2>
<p>Design leaks suggest that Apple is building an <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-said-to-be-working-on-a-significantly-thinner-iphone-180823565.html">ultra-thin smartphone[/url], likely to be named the iPhone 17 Air to match Apple's ultralight laptop designation.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, often a solid source of advanced intel about Apple, <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/this-year-could-bring-the-iphone-air-and-an-entry-level-ipad-with-apple-intelligence-175059162.html">reported[/url] in January that the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with a basic A19 chip and will only have a single camera lens. It may also use Apple's new in-house modem, which was introduced in February on the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-16e-review-whats-your-acceptable-compromise-020016288.html">iPhone 16e[/url]. More details about this development may leak ahead of September, but that's what we know for now.</p>
<p>An investor note from Apple analyst Jeff Pu <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:8;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/15/iphone-17-air-titanium-rumor/">indicated[/url] that the Air will have a titanium frame. If his reports are accurate, the lightweight smartphone will be the only entry in the iPhone 17 lineup to use that metal; the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to be made of aluminum, which is oddly a lighter material than titanium. Other speculation had suggested that the Air would use a blend of aluminum and titanium, so the exact materials may not be known until the official announcement.</p>
<p>Additionally, an August 4 <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/08/04/iphone-17-air-battery-half-thickness-17-pro/">
MacRumors report[/url] says the internal battery pack of the iPhone Air is just 2.49mm thick — half the thickness of the iPhone 17 Pro battery. The leak was posted on the <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="
https://m.blog.naver.com/PostView.naver?blogId=yeux1122&logNo=223958615195&navType=by">Korean-langauge Naver blog[/url], where they show the alleged batteries of the iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro side by side. The same account claimed the 17 Air's battery capacity was a mere 2,800 mAh,
MacRumors notes. (That's below the battery capacity of current iPhone 16 models.)</p>
<p>Each new roster includes a base model, but over the years, Apple has shaken up the variety of phones it offers. Most likely there will be an iPhone 17 and an iPhone 17 Pro. Apple has also committed to the size matters philosophy, and has been building an iPhone Pro Max option with an even bigger screen and better battery life; the 17 roster will almost certainly have one as well. </p>
<p>The new Pro iPhones are said to have a full-width "camera island" on the rear, which would mark the first time an Apple model opted for that design. This feature can be seen in the <a data-i13n="cpos:11;pos:1" href="
https://x.com/Skyfops/status/1949936265232888057">purported iPhone 17 "spotted in the wild."[/url] The pics, highlighted on <a data-i13n="cpos:12;pos:1" href="
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/28/iphone-17-pro-possibly-spotted-in-the-wild/">
MacRumors[/url], show a black cased iPhone (17 Pro?) with the distinct back panel. Is it the real deal? The dual angles lend a degree of credibility in a social media landscape increasingly polluted with AI-enhanced fakes, but your guess is as good as ours.</p>
<div id="a462ba8164d54c5a8ac8626b1540fe2f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I just spotted a test development iPhone in the wild
