In less than two weeks, Apple will, at long last, reveal the iPhone 17 in all its glory. The tech giant is expected to showcase an all-new iPhone 17 Air model, as well as the Apple Watch Series 11 and AirPods Pro 3 at its keynote event at Apple Park in Cupertino this September.
But as much as we love all the iPhone 17 rumours about its cameras and colours, the real question everyone’s asking is a lot simpler: When can you actually get your hands on one? Apple’s a creature of habit, so it’s pretty easy to predict the pre-order date for the iPhone 17.
If you’re itching to upgrade, we’ve rounded up when we think you’ll be able to pre-order the iPhone 17, and the possible carrier deals and trade-in offers when it’s finally available to buy.
When can you pre-order the iPhone 17 in the UK?
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max on Tuesday 9 September at its “awe dropping” event. But this isn’t the date when we’re expecting pre-orders to go live.
If previous launches are anything to go by, all four handsets will be available to pre-order three days later on Friday 12 September. In the UK, pre-orders usually go live at 1pm BST. You’ll be able to pre-order directly from Apple, but other retailers, including Amazon, Currys, and mobile carriers, should also jump in with their own pre-orders and contract deals on the same day.
Your iPhone 17 should then fall on your doorstep on the following Friday, when it goes on general sale on 19 September.
What iPhone 17 pre-order deals can you expect to see?
There won’t be any deals on the base iPhone 17 handsets at launch, but phone carriers will offer pre-order deals as they do every year. It’s hard to predict potential deals without knowing the price of the various iPhone 17 models, but last year’s iPhone 16 launch can give us a good idea of what to expect.
However, analysts suggest there could be a £50 price increase on all four iPhones this year, so monthly payments may edge up slightly, though we still expect contracts to sit close to last year’s levels.
At launch, Sky Mobile had the most competitive prices across the iPhone 16 range. The iPhone 16 Pro Max started from £39 per month on a 36-month plan, with no up-front cost and a £5 data add-on. If the £50 price hike lands, expect Sky’s iPhone 17 Pro Max plan to creep closer to £41–£42 per month, with Sky’s usual extras such as rolled-over data and free streaming on Sky apps.
Mobiles.co.uk, owned by Currys, offered some of the best contracts on the Pro models last year, with 100GB of data for £39.99 per month and a £169 up-front fee. A similar iPhone 17 Pro deal could cost around £41–£42 per month, unless the retailer chooses to keep the monthly price the same and adjust the up-front fee instead.
For the base iPhone 17, Sky’s £26 per month, plus £5 for data, is the lowest possible price we expect to see again. If you’re buying outright, trade-in deals can save you plenty of cash. Apple offered up to £645 off with a recent device last year, and Amazon’s programme went up to £599, which should help offset any price hikes.
We’ve rounded up every single iPhone 17 rumour, from price to design to specs
