Apple iPhone 17 series to go on sale in India from Sept 19; pre-orders begin Sept 12

Pic/AFP

Apple on Tuesday announced the launch of the iPhone 17 series, priced between Rs 82,900 and Rs 2,29,900, which will go on sale in India from September 19.

Pre-orders will open on Friday, September 12, with global availability, including India, starting September 19.

The company has also introduced its slimmest iPhone yet, the iPhone Air series, measuring just 5.6 millimeters thick and supporting only eSIMs.

Apple has discontinued the 128GB storage option in its latest iPhones, raising the base price of entry models compared to the iPhone 16 lineup.

The iPhone 17 Pro will come in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants, starting with double the storage of earlier base models.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and for the first time, a massive 2TB storage option. "iPhone 17 Pro is the most advanced iPhone ever, featuring a striking new design and powerful capability," Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

The Pro series will now also feature cosmic orange as a new colour option.

"Available in cosmic orange, deep blue, and silver, iPhone 17 Pro starts at Rs 1,34,900, while iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,49,900," the company said in its statement.

Customers across more than 63 countries, including India, can pre-order the Pro models from 5 am PDT on September 12, with sales beginning September 19, the company added.

The iPhone 17 will be sold in lavender, mist blue, sage, white, and black, with 256GB and 512GB storage variants. Prices start at Rs 82,900 in India, Apple confirmed.

The iPhone 17 series has been launched in three variants - iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max - dropping the "Plus" model seen in earlier lineups.

The basic iPhone 17 now starts with 256GB storage, similar to the earlier Plus models. It will be available in India at Rs 82,900, compared to the iPhone 16 Plus, which started at Rs 89,900 for the same storage.

While iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus featured 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays respectively, the new iPhone 17 comes with a 6.3-inch screen.

Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, Kaiann Drance, said during the launch that the A19 chipset in iPhone 17 makes it 20 per cent faster than iPhone 16, 80 per cent faster than iPhone 15, 90 per cent faster than iPhone 14, and twice as fast as iPhone 13.

She added that iPhone 17 offers up to 8 hours longer video playback than iPhone 16, while just 10 minutes of charging can provide up to 8 hours of video.

The iPhone Air series will be available in 256GB to 1TB storage options, with prices starting at Rs 1,19,900.

Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Ultra 3, featuring built-in satellite communication that enables users to text emergency services, contact family and friends, and share their location even without cellular connectivity.

Priced at Rs 89,900, pre-orders for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 are now open, and it will be available in India from September 19.

(With inputs from Agencies)