Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models and its first foldable are about to be at unveiled at the company's "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday, September 9. That may sound like a reason to sit tight if you're looking to upgrade from an iPhone 16 or older series, but between looming price hikes and Apple's new split-launch calendar, there's a decent case for grabbing an iPhone 17 series model right now. Here are five reasons in favor of putting your order in before the event kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
1. iPhone Price Hikes Almost Certain
Analysts suggest the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could start at $1,299 and $1,399, respectively. That would represent a $200 jump over their predecessors, with rising memory and storage costs (i.e. the AI buildout) largely to blame. Meanwhile, the foldable iPhone price could start at north of $2,000. Apple has already increased the price of all of its iPhone models in Japan. The iPhone 17, by contrast, is still selling in the U.S. and other regions at the price Apple set last September (from $799). Meanwhile, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple has been watching how Samsung and Google respond to higher component costs – and both have raised prices on their latest phones by about $100. At this point, upcoming price hikes for the next-generation models seem inevitable, and there's no guarantee that the iPhone 17 series will be spared.
2. Some iPhone 18 Models Still a While Away
Under Apple's expected new split-launch strategy, only the iPhone 18 Pro models and the foldable arrive this September. The regular iPhone 18, lower-cost iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 aren't expected until spring 2027, so anyone holding out for the regular iPhone 17's direct successor will be sat waiting for several months longer than usual.
3. The Base iPhone 18 Could Be a "Downgrade"
One leaker has repeatedly claimed that Apple will reduce the standard iPhone 18's display and chip specifications to control costs, which could see it potentially sharing more components with the cheaper iPhone 18e. And even with a rumored bump to 9GB of RAM, the lower-end models reportedly still won't support two new iOS 27 features. Nothing is certain yet, but if Apple is cutting corners for its next more affordable and base models, then the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17e could be the better-specced option, especially given the expected price difference.
4. Some iPhone 18 Upgrades Remain Uncertain
Several of the more eye-catching iPhone 18 Pro rumors may not play out at launch. An early report claiming that the iPhone 18 Pro would ditch the Dynamic Island for a hole-punch camera has completely lost steam, while the foldable iPhone's rumored 24-megapixel under-display camera may not be ready this year, and a truly crease-free folding screen looks more like "nearly crease-free" in practice. In other words, waiting doesn't guarantee that you'll get everything the rumor mill is predicting.
5. Your Trade-In Is Worth More Today
Trade-in and resale values on older iPhones typically slide once a new generation is announced, which means the iPhone in your pocket is likely at its peak value right now. Waiting until September to upgrade would mean paying more for the new, pricier model and getting less for the old one, which would be a double hit on your wallet.
None of this means Apple's iPhone 18 lineup won't be worth the money. But if you're upgrading from a pre-2025 iPhone and the foldable isn't something you're considering, then an iPhone 17 series model might still be the smarter option.
