Apple on Friday opened preorders for the 2025 iPhone series, which includes the standard iPhone 17 model, the ultra-thin iPhone Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max, after announcing the new devices during a media event on Tuesday. That’s the usual schedule for iPhone launch events, with online sales starting on the first Friday after the keynote. The new iPhones will start shipping to buyers on the second Friday after the event (September 19), which is also when sales will start in Apple retail stores.
It’s also customary for some of the new iPhones to sell out quickly on the first day of preorders, especially the newest Pro and Pro Max models. It happens in the U.S. and other major markets as loyal iPhone users hurry to secure their desired model, color, and storage capacity. The 2025 iPhone series is no different, as select iPhone 17 models have started selling out within minutes after Apple opened up preorders.
As some pundits might have predicted, the iPhone 17 Pro Max sold out quickly. Within 15 minutes, delivery times have started slipping to 7-10 business days, according to BGR’s checks. Apple’s online store went down briefly soon after that for all four models, likely following a spike in traffic. Apple’s online store in France also went down during the preorder process. However, there are ways to buy an iPhone 17 version next week and ensure availability on release day. Buyers will have to act fast.
iPhone 17 and iPhone Air delivery times
Every year, Apple allocates an unspecified number of new iPhone units for the preorder period. The number has to be significant so Apple can cover the U.S. market and many international markets. Apple doesn’t disclose stock details or sales numbers for the iPhone, and such information has never leaked. But Apple also reserves iPhone stock for the phone’s in-store launch.
Shipping times have slipped to late September for all iPhone 17 Pro Max colors and storage options, according to Apple’s website, before the online store went down. The more people preorder the iPhone 17 Pros and iPhone Air online, the more the delivery times will slip. Apple will likely catch up with demand in the coming weeks.
Apple Inc.
Here are the delivery times for the four new iPhones at the time of this writing:
- iPhone 17 – September 19
- iPhone Air – September 19
- iPhone 17 Pro – September 19
- iPhone 17 Pro Max – 7-10 business days to 3-4 weeks for select models
Other iPhone 17 purchase options
If the iPhone Air or iPhone 17 model you wanted is sold out online at Apple, you can still try to order a device and choose the in-store pick-up option, assuming there’s an Apple retail store close by. You’ll then pick your iPhone 17 or iPhone Air model in the store next Friday. In-store pick-up options will likely sell out fast as well.
Another option is securing an iPhone 17 or iPhone Air from an electronics store or your carrier. The latter could be a good choice for those users looking to take advantage of one of the various iPhone 17 promotions that carriers around the world are running.
If all else fails, you can still go to an Apple store near you next Friday and hope they’ll have enough iPhone 17 and iPhone Air stock to meet local demand. The downside of using these methods is that you might not get the storage and color combination you wanted.
Finally, you can preorder an iPhone Air or iPhone 17 model from Apple and wait for the company to deliver it, even if that means dealing with longer wait times.