Tech Desk 
Aug 27, 2025
An undated image of iPhone 16. — Apple/Canva
Apple is getting ready to debut the iPhone 17 later this September, and it may break a 15-year-old record. Reports suggest the iPhone 17 will be Apple’s top standard iPhone for approximately 18 months, which will be the longest time Apple ever has offered any flagship iPhone model.
Currently, the record holder is the iPhone 4, which launched in June 2010, and it lasted just under 16 months at the top of the Apple iPhone offerings and is also the last model they introduced under their June launch timeframe.
At that time, Apple changed their launch schedule of their iPhone from summer to fall, which had the impact of delaying the iPhone 5 and introducing the iPhone 4S instead.
The 4S introduced many features, such as Siri and a better camera feature, with a very similar look to the iPhone 4; hence, customers had to wait longer than anticipated to see a new design look.
Reportedly, the iPhone 18 will not be introduced until the spring 2027 timeframe instead of the fall timeframe, thus allowing the iPhone 17 to sit on top for approximately 550 days, breaking the record of the iPhone 4, which was 477 days.
It's important to note that Apple has changed the strategy since the iPhone 4 times by offering Pro models now and is rumoured to launch the first foldable iPhone next year.
However, while the standard iPhone 17 will hold the flagship title the longest, customers will still see exciting hardware changes elsewhere in the lineup.
Apple has confirmed a launch event for September 9, where the company is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series along with the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
