iPhone 17: Australian release date, pricing, features, and more

The iPhone 17 series is available for outright purchase and via iPhone plans from telcos. Not only does the new suite of handsets feature the standard upgrades you might expect, this year Apple has introduced the new iPhone Air, replacing the Plus models of previous years.

The iPhone Air is a super-slim 5.6mm handset with a 6.5-inch ProMotion display. That makes it notably thinner than its iPhone siblings and places it between the 6.3 inches of the smaller models (the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro), and the 6.9 inches of the Pro Max.

Let's take a look at the the whole iPhone 17 series including pricing, new features for each model, and plans.

The iPhone 17 range starts at $1,399 for the cheapest model, ranging all the way up to $3,799 for the 2TB iPhone 17 Pro Max. The entry-level pricing for the standard iPhone 17 remains the same as the iPhone 16, but with 256GB of storage instead of the previous 128GB.

But it's not the same story for the other iPhone 17 series models. The iPhone 17 Pro starting price is $1,999 ($200 more than the iPhone 16 Pro). The 17 Pro Max is also a bit more expensive, but at $2,199 it's only $50 than the 16 Pro Max was at launch.

Here's a look at iPhone 17 prices in Australian for each model and storage option:

The 6.3-inch iPhone 17 might be the smallest upgrade of the 2025 range, but it comes with some long-overdue features. Most significantly, standard iPhone 17 users no longer have to compromise on high refresh rate offered by ProMotion. The 6.3-inch display is also larger than the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 and supports Always-On. The iPhone 17 gets an upgraded A19 chipset which contributes to an extended battery life. Those who opt for the cheaper model also get Roadside Assistance via satellite and Find My via satellite. 

The iPhone 17's camera array has also received some generous upgrades across the board. In addition to a 48MP Dual Fusion rear camera (with a 48MP ultrawide lens), the front camera has been upgraded to an 18MP Centre Stage lens (up from 12MP). 

Here's a look at some of the more notable features and upgrades:

• Upgraded chipset: A19 
• Action Button: Yes
• Camera Control: Yes
• Cameras: 48MP Dual Fusion rear + 18MP front camera
• Battery: 30 hours of video playback
• Storage options: 256GB or 512GB
• ProMotion 120Hz: Yes
• Always-On Display: Yes
• Build: Aluminium frame

If you're like to see our thoughts about how it handles itself in the real world, you can check out our full iPhone 17 review.

iPhone 17 plans are live from Optus, Vodafone and Telstra. Here's a look at the cheapest 36-month option feach telco:

The iPhone Air is a newcomer to the iPhone lineup. It has sleeker design than its counterparts – roughly 30% thinner than the iPhone 17 at 5.6mm – and comes a few Pro features, like the A19 Pro chipset and the Ceramic Shield rear. To achieve the slim profile, the iPhone Air has officially ditched the SIM tray, making it the first eSIM-only iPhone to release in Australia. It also loses the ultra wide camera lens (and features like macro photography and cinematic mode as a result).

If you'd like a more detailed look, you can check out our iPhone Air review. But for a quick overview, here's a peek at some of the more notable features of this new handset:

• Upgraded chipset: A19 Pro
• Action Button: Yes
• Camera Control: Yes
• Cameras: 48MP main + 18MP Centre Stage front camera
• Battery: 27 hours of video playback
• Storage options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
• Build: Titanium frame

iPhone Air plans are available through Optus, Vodafone or Telstra. Here's a look at the cheapest 36-month plan from each telco:

The most immediately striking thing about the new iPhone 17 Pro is honestly the Cosmic Orange colour option. It's refreshing to have something a little more vibrant than the kind-of gold models of the past. Next is what Apple is referring to as the camera "plateau", a full-width camera bump similar to the latest Google Pixel smartphones. It sports a machined aluminium "unibody" build with Ceramic Glass in a cutout on the back for MagSafe charging. The camera cluster itself looks similar, with three 48MP sensors but Apple has improved the telephoto camera to allow for 8x optical zoom and has included the same 18MP Center Stage front camera as the other models. 

You can learn more about this phone from our detailed iPhone 17 Pro review. But if you're just after the basics, here's a look at some of the more notable features and upgrades of the 17 Pro:

• Upgraded chipset: A19 Pro 
• Action Button: Yes
• Camera Control: Yes
• Cameras: 48MP Pro Fusion + 18MP Center Stage front camera 
• Battery: 31 hours of video playback
• Storage options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
• Build: Aluminium Unibody

Optus, Vodafone and Telstra all offer iPhone 17 Pro plans. Here's a quick look at the cheapest plan from each telco:

The 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max features all the regular upgrades of the larger Pro model; basically all the upgrades of the iPhone 17 Pro with a bigger display. This year, the two pro models are almost identical in every way except for display size and storage size. This year's iPhone 17 Pro Max offers 2TB of storage at an eye-watering price of $3,799. That's $800 more than the 1TB iPhone 17 Pro Max and $1,000 more than the 1TB iPhone 17 Pro. 

Here's a look at some of the more notable features and upgrades of the 17 Pro Max:

• Upgraded chipset: A19 Pro 
• Action Button: Yes
• Camera Control: Yes
• Cameras: 48MP Pro Fusion + 18MP Center Stage front camera 
• Battery: 31 hours of video playback
• Storage options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
• Build: Aluminium Unibody

But specs and on-paper features aren't everything, so check out our iPhone 17 Pro Max review if you'd like to hear how this beast runs in real life.

iPhone 17 Pro Max plans can be grabbed from Vodafone, Optus or Telstra. To help you compare, these are the cheapest plans from each telco: