iPhone 17 Sold Out: Base Model Faces Longer Delays Than The Pros

BGR has been checking inventory for the iPhone 17 series every Friday since the four new handsets went on sale online. We started on the first preorder day, September 12, and more than two months later, our findings show iPhone 17 stock is still constrained in various markets, especially in North America. We've been tracking the same countries every week, using the shipping delays Apple's local online stores provide to gauge demand. Over the past few months, we've noticed a few trends, including unexpected ones.

For example, the iPhone 17 Pro Max was consistently sold out. It was the first model to go out of stock on the initial day of preorders. More surprising is that the base iPhone 17 model, which sold out over the first preorder weekend, has remained sold out in key markets like the U.S. since then. Also surprising is that the base iPhone 17 Pro is now in stock in all the markets we've been tracking, as you'll see below. The handset was in stock last week as well. Finally, the iPhone Air has rarely shown any shipping delay estimates online. China was a notable example last month, but the ultra-thin handset only started selling in the country in mid-October, after Apple passed local regulatory clearances.

What's interesting this week is that iPhone 17 stock has improved in the U.S., where it faced more severe supply constraints in the past few weeks. At the same time, certain European markets are seeing renewed shipping delays compared to last week. In either case, the base iPhone 17 model has longer wait times than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is a notable development for Apple's cheapest iPhone model.

Every week, we perform the same standard stock check on Apple.com. We access the local online store for the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, China, and Japan, and we simulate buying all the possible iPhone storage and color combinations for each market. The store immediately provides shipping delay estimates for the models that are out of stock. Here's what this week's delivery estimates are for these countries:

• iPhone 17 Pro Max: 3-5 business days (U.S., Canada, U.K., Switzerland, Germany, China), in stock (France, Ireland, Japan)
• iPhone 17 Pro: in stock (U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, China, Japan)
• iPhone 17: 1-2 weeks (U.S., Canada), 7-10 business days (Germany, Switzerland), in stock (U.K., France, Ireland, China, Japan)
• iPhone Air: in stock (U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, China, Japan)

The data above suggests that consumers who have not purchased an iPhone 17 version can get one immediately or have it delivered within two weeks. It's likely that other international markets that we have not tracked every week may experience similar iPhone 17 stock issues. Anyone looking to make sure they can purchase one of the four new iPhones in time for Christmas should have no problem securing it. The iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro are available immediately online in the markets above. They're probably available in local Apple retail stores as well.

That said, it's unclear how much stock Apple has on hand for any given market. Shipping times can slip once Apple runs out of inventory, as happened with Germany and Switzerland this week. They can also improve from day to day. For example, shipping times for the base iPhone 17 have slightly improved in the U.S. compared to last week.