As September nears, we enter the new iPhone season.

Apple’s yearly flagship unveiling is supposedly just a few weeks away, making it an opportune time to pause and reflect on what we know. As expected, there have been a plethora of leaks and speculation regarding the iPhone 17’s debut throughout the past year. Some may turn out to be true, while others appear dubious. This is common for such launches.

Let’s get started. Here’s everything we are aware of, what we believe to know, and what we are uncertain about concerning the iPhone 17 so far.

What iPhone 17 variants can we anticipate?

First, let’s identify how many iPhones to prepare for this September.

There will undoubtedly be a standard iPhone 17 model. This is as certain as the setting sun. Signs indicate that the iPhone 17 will also include Pro and Pro Max variants, in line with Apple’s recent mobile offerings. A departure from this would be unexpected.

Nonetheless, this year could still bring surprises or notable changes. Multiple leaks and rumors hint at a super-slim model, potentially dubbed the iPhone 17 Air. The Air might take the place of the Plus variant from preceding years, introducing an option with its own distinct identity rather than just a larger base model.

The precise dimensions of the Air remain unclear, but leaks imply a thickness between 5 and 6mm, making it Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet, rivaling the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which measures 5.8mm in thickness.

iPhone 17 launch date

For past iPhone launches, Apple has generally hosted its major livestreamed announcement event in the “second week of September.” Therefore, the week of Sept. 8 is particularly significant this year, especially Tuesday, Sept. 9. It wouldn’t be surprising if Apple selected that date for the unveiling.

9to5Mac highlighted that Apple usually designates the official release date of each new iPhone for the Friday following the launch event, so keep an eye out for Friday, Sept. 19 as the phone’s official release date.

Forbes journalist David Phelan recently shared more insights about the iPhone 17 release timeline. He similarly predicts an announcement on Sept. 9 and suggests that Apple will likely confirm the date on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Moreover, he forecasts that the new iOS 26 update will officially debut on either Monday, Sept. 15, or Tuesday, Sept. 16.

iPhone 17 lineup: The specifications

The complete specifications for these devices won’t be revealed until the second week of September, so nothing is definitive yet. However, we have a general idea of what to anticipate.

Beginning with the screens, renowned leaker Ice Universe (via 9to5Mac) mentioned back in July 2024 that these would be the approximate display sizes for each new iPhone:

• iPhone 17: 6.3-inch

• iPhone 17 Air: 6.65-inch

• iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch

• iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.7-inch

An intriguing rumor indicates that both the iPhone 17 and 17 Air will reportedly come with 120Hz displays, as per MacRumors. Apple has confined high refresh rates to its Pro models for several years, even as lower-cost Android devices like the Pixel 9a have offered this feature for some time. This would represent a substantial enhancement for Apple, making the base and Air models more attractive.

The new iPhones are also expected to be equipped with new A19 chips. As in previous years, the base model will likely have