Technologies

The iPhone 17 Will Be Here Soon, but When? Possible Release Dates Coming Into Focus

We’re likely less than a month away from when new iPhones will be announced, so what does that mean for getting them into people’s hands?

If you’re looking at your current iPhone and pondering whether to upgrade to a new model, now is a fraught time. Do you stick with it for another year? Or do the rumors include features you’re itching to try? But most important is the question: When will iPhone 17 models be released?

Once the rumored iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, Pro and Pro Max are revealed, we’ll be able to confirm speculation about colors, display, cameras and more. We’ll also learn how much the new iPhone will cost, which is also still up in the air, thanks in part to looming tariffs.

Based on previous releases, the new iPhone will be announced in September, but the exact dates for the announcement, preorder and release are still the subject of speculation.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Possible iPhone announcement date

One recent leak points to Apple holding the iPhone 17 event on Sept. 9. German site iPhone-Ticker claims that it gained access to internal documents from a local carrier, and even though the sourcing cannot be confirmed, that release date lines up with existing rumors and expert opinion.

We’ve sifted through the whispers, analysis and guesses so you can make a date to get your hands on the new iPhone.

Read more: Should You Buy an iPhone 16 or Wait for the iPhone 17?

When will the iPhone 17 be released?

For nearly a decade, Apple has announced its new iPhone lineup in early September. The only exception was in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when the release was pushed back to Oct. 23 for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro, and Nov. 13 for the iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max.

In his Power On newsletter on July 13, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that the announcement should come on Sept. 9 or 10.

The supposed leak reported on by iPhone-Ticker lines up with expert opinion, so you might want to mark your calendar for Sept. 9 if you want to catch the new iPhone event.

We cannot verify these dates because we don’t have access to the internal documents iPhone-Ticker is sourcing. But if these leaks are true, they suggest that preorders for the iPhone 17 will begin on Sept. 12, with a Sept. 19 release.

Here’s a chart for the release dates of previous iPhone models:

Previous iPhone release dates

iPhone series	Announcement	Preorder	Release
iPhone 16E	February 19, 2025	February 21, 2025	February 28, 2025
iPhone 16 series	September 9, 2024	September 13, 2024	September 20, 2024
iPhone 15 series	September 12, 2023	September 15, 2023	September 22, 2023
iPhone 14 series	September 7, 2022	September 9, 2022	September 16, 2022
iPhone 14 Plus	September 7, 2022	September 9, 2022	October 7, 2022
iPhone SE	March 8, 2022	March 11, 2022	March 18, 2022
iPhone 13 series	September 14, 2021	September 17, 2021	September 24, 2021

Here’s a chart for the potential dates based on past schedules. These are not official dates from Apple:

Potential iPhone 17 schedule

Announcement	Preorder	Release
Wednesday, September 3	Friday, September 5	Friday, September 12
Tuesday, September 9	Friday, September 12	Friday, September 19

Will all of the new iPhones be released in the fall?

Based on last year’s release, Apple may release everything in the fall except its least expensive option — this year, the iPhone 16E. The iPhone 16E was released in February, and Apple is widely expected to follow the same format for the rumored iPhone 17.

That would mean the iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Air and the iPhone 17 base model — if that’s the lineup — would be released in September. The iPhone 17E — if it exists — would be released in February.

Apple’s future iPhone release dates

Apple is expected to change its release format with the rumored iPhone 18. Reports suggest that Apple will only release higher-end models in fall 2026 — iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, Air and a rumored new foldable iPhone — and release the rest of the line in winter 2027.

Why does Apple split iPhone release dates?

By pushing its top-of-the-line Pro and Pro Max models in September, Apple can capture much of the holiday shopping season. Releasing the more basic models in the winter allows a second crest of excitement, but diehard fans and holiday shoppers will have already spent their money on the pricier models in the fall.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 17.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Nod (off)
Answer: DOZE

5A clue: Naval submarine in W.W. II
Answer: UBOAT

7A clue: Tricky thing to do on a busy highway
Answer: MERGE

8A clue: Heat-resistant glassware for cooking
Answer: PYREX

9A clue: Put into groups
Answer: SORT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Break up with
Answer: DUMP

2D clue: Falls in line, so to speak
Answer: OBEYS

3D clue: Legendary vigilante who cuts a «Z» with his sword
Answer: ZORRO

4D clue: Rarin’ to go
Answer: EAGER

6D clue: Common reminder for an upcoming appointment
Answer: TEXT

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Technologies

You Can Watch an Exclusive Avatar: Fire and Ash Scene on TikTok Right Now

Disney and TikTok partner on an immersive content hub for James Cameron’s latest movie about the alien Na’vi.

If you’re not quite ready to head to the theater to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, an exclusive scene preview might sell you on the visual spectacle. As part of a new collaboration with the social media giant, Disney is posting snippets of its new movie to its TikTok account.

This scene isn’t part of any trailer and won’t be posted to other social media accounts, making TikTok the only place you can view it — unless you buy a movie ticket. A first look at the new movie’s scenes isn’t the only Avatar-related bonus on the social media platform right now, either. TikTok has partnered with the house of mouse to bring an entire «immersive content hub» to the app.

A special section of TikTok includes quizzes and educational videos that explore the alien world of Pandora shown off in the movies. On TikTok, you can take a personality quiz to find out what Na’vi clan you most closely align with and unlock a special profile picture border to use on your account.

Science and fiction blend together with a series of videos from real doctors who explain the basis for some of Avatar’s world-building. If you want to learn about exoplanets or how realistic the anatomy of the movie’s alien animals is, these videos will feed your brain while still providing entertainment value.

Perhaps the most enticing part of Disney’s latest social media collaboration is the opportunity for fans to win prizes and trips. TikTok creators who make edits with the #TikTokAvatarContest hashtag are entered into a competition to win Avatar merchandise. The biggest winners will be able to take a trip to visual effects studio Wētā Workshop in New Zealand or visit Avatar director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment Studio in Los Angeles.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in director Cameron’s cinematic passion project. While the first Avatar movie was released in 2009, Cameron didn’t release another entry in the franchise until 2022. In total, there is a five-movie arc planned for the indigo alien Na’vi on the moon of Pandora.

The Avatar movies are known for pushing the boundaries of CGI visual effects in cinema. They are also historically big winners at the box office: the original Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.9 billion across its theatrical releases. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third-highest-grossing film of all time, trailing Avengers: Endgame. You can stream those movies on Disney Plus.

It remains to be seen whether Avatar: Fire and Ash will financially live up to its predecessors. The film currently has mixed reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.