Will the iPhone 17 Price Drop in Australia? What's Actually Happening

If you've been searching "will the iPhone 17 price drop" since the iPhone 18 Pro launched, you're not alone. Google Trends shows searches for it climbing sharply in Australia since September. The usual rule is simple: new iPhone comes out, old iPhone gets cheaper.

This year Apple broke that rule. Here's what happened, where the real iPhone 17 price drops will come from, and how to catch one without checking five stores every day.

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"I check the phone price question the same way I check anything expensive: decide the price I'm happy to pay, then stop looking. The day the price shows up, I hear about it. The days it doesn't, I don't waste a second on it."

- Joey Krosch, Founder of FindFetcher

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Quick Answer

At Apple, no. At retailers, probably. When Apple launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on 9 September 2026, it raised the prices of its older models instead of cutting them. The iPhone 17 (256GB) went from $1,399 to $1,549 at the Apple Store in Australia. The base iPhone 18 wasn't part of that launch and is expected in 2027.

So the iPhone 17 price drop you're waiting for won't come from Apple. It will come from retailers and telcos discounting their own stock, especially around Black Friday.

What Apple Did to iPhone Prices in September 2026

Here are the Apple Store Australia starting prices before and after the 9 September 2026 launch event:

Prices from Apple's Australian launch announcement and Australian tech coverage on 9-10 September 2026. Check Apple's site for current pricing.

Two things stand out. First, every model that stayed on sale got more expensive. Second, the iPhone 17 Pro disappeared from Apple's lineup altogether, so the only new iPhone 17 Pro stock left is whatever retailers and telcos still hold.

Why the Usual "Wait for the New Model" Rule Didn't Work

The old rule assumed Apple would cut last year's model when the new one arrived. In 2026 two things got in the way:

1. No base iPhone 18 yet. Apple only launched the Pro models in September 2026. The standard iPhone 18 is expected in 2027, so the iPhone 17 is still Apple's main standard model, and there was no reason to cut it.
2. Higher costs across the range. Apple raised prices across new and old models at the same time, so even last year's phones went up.

That's why the "will iPhone 17 price drop when 18 comes out" search has exploded. The expected drop didn't happen, at least not at Apple.

Where iPhone 17 Price Drops Will Actually Come From

Retailers. Big electronics retailers sell iPhones outright and set their own prices. They run promotions around big sale events, and they don't all move at once. On any given day, the same iPhone 17 can have a different price at different stores.

Telcos. Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and others sell iPhones on plans and outright. Their deals are often bundled with plan credits or bonus data, so compare the total cost over the contract, not the headline number.

Clearance on the iPhone 17 Pro. Because Apple has stopped selling it, retailers with leftover iPhone 17 Pro stock have a reason to clear it. That's where the deepest discounts on a recent Pro model are likely to show up, until the stock runs out.

Refurbished and pre-owned. Certified refurbished iPhones are a genuine way to pay less. Buy from sellers that offer a proper warranty and clear return policy.

When to Expect the Best iPhone 17 Deals

The usual windows for older-iPhone discounts in Australia are:

• Black Friday and Cyber Monday (27-30 November 2026). The biggest retail event before Christmas. Our Black Friday price drops guide covers how to spot the real deals.
• Boxing Day and January clearance. Retailers clear stock after Christmas.
• EOFY (June). A strong window for tech generally, covered in our guide to saving money on electronics.
• Whenever the base iPhone 18 launches in 2027. That's when Apple has a real reason to reprice the iPhone 17.

The catch: phone deals don't wait for you to notice them. A retailer can drop the price on a Tuesday night and sell out by Wednesday lunch. Australians now shop across 16 different online retailers every year[012], and checking all of them for one phone isn't a good use of anyone's evening.

How to Get an iPhone 17 Price Drop Alert

84% of Australian shoppers say price is the single biggest factor when they choose where to buy.[005] With a phone, that means the cheapest legitimate store on the day you're ready to buy. Here's how to find it without manual checking:

1. Be exact about the model. "iPhone 17" isn't enough. Include storage (256GB or 512GB) and, if it matters, colour. A 512GB price drop is no use if you want 256GB.

2. Choose your target price. Look at today's price across a few retailers and pick the number where you'd buy straight away. For example, "iPhone 17 256GB under $1,300".

3. Let one alert watch every store. Single-store alerts only tell you about that one store. With FindFetcher you describe the phone and your price once, in plain English, and it checks Australian retailers for you and emails you when a match appears.

4. Buy outright or on a plan, but compare the total. If a telco deal looks better, add up the full cost over the contract before you sign.

If you want to understand what's going on behind the scenes, our explainer on how price drop alerts work covers it in plain English.

Should You Buy Now or Wait?

• You need a phone now: compare outright prices across a few retailers, not just Apple. Apple's $1,549 price is the highest the iPhone 17 has been.
• You can wait until late November: set an alert now and let Black Friday come to you.
• You want the newest standard model: the base iPhone 18 is expected in 2027. If you can wait that long, wait. If not, buy an iPhone 17 at your target price.
• You want a Pro: decide between iPhone 17 Pro clearance stock (cheaper, while it lasts) and the iPhone 18 Pro from $2,099.

For more on getting a fair price on tech, see the cheapest way to buy tech in Australia and our guide to price drop alerts.

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By Joey Krosch, Founder of FindFetcher.

Hero image: Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the iPhone 17 price drop when the iPhone 18 comes out?

Not at Apple, at least not this year. When the iPhone 18 Pro launched in September 2026, Apple raised the iPhone 17 (256GB) from $1,399 to $1,549 at the Apple Store in Australia, and the base iPhone 18 isn't expected until 2027. Any iPhone 17 price drops will come from retailers and telcos, not Apple.

Has the iPhone 17 Pro dropped in price in Australia?

Apple stopped selling the iPhone 17 Pro when the iPhone 18 Pro launched, so you can't buy it new from Apple any more. Retailers and telcos still selling remaining stock are where any iPhone 17 Pro discounts will show up, usually until stock runs out.

When is the cheapest time to buy an iPhone 17 in Australia?

Retailer promotions around Black Friday (27 November 2026), Boxing Day and EOFY are the usual windows for discounts on older iPhones. Prices vary between retailers on the same day, so a price alert across several stores beats checking one store on one date.

Is it worth waiting for the base iPhone 18?

Only if you can wait until 2027 and want the newest model. If you're happy with the iPhone 17, a retailer discount on it in the next few months is likely to beat Apple's current $1,549 price. Set a target price and buy when it appears.

How do I get an alert when the iPhone 17 price drops?

With FindFetcher, describe the exact model and price you want, for example 'iPhone 17 256GB under $1,300', and it checks Australian retailers for you, then emails you when a match appears. One fetch covers every store, so you don't need separate alerts on each site.