When Apple releases the iPhone 17 in a few weeks, the timer will start for the new flagship model breaking a record set 15 years ago. The record will take more than a year to break, but based on current rumors, the iPhone 17 will be the first to steal the crown.
iPhone 4 had an unusually long run
That record belongs to the iPhone 4, which went on sale in June 2010 and remained Apple’s top iPhone until October 2011. Because Apple shifted its flagship launch cycle from summer to fall that year, the iPhone 4 held its spot for nearly 16 months.
It was a particularly frustrating time for customers who planned to “wait for the iPhone 5.” Instead, Apple introduced the iPhone 4S, which looked nearly identical to the iPhone 4. The changes came inside: Siri debuted, the camera improved, and performance received a bump.
The iPhone 4 technically had several release moments as well. AT&T was the exclusive iPhone carrier in the U.S. and launched it first. Verizon followed as the second-ever U.S. carrier six months later. Then the long-delayed white model arrived after 10 months of setbacks.
Since then, no iPhone has matched the iPhone 4 record 15-month flagship run. The closest was the iPhone 11 Pro, which held its spot for 13 months after the iPhone 12 launch was delayed during the pandemic. Other outliers exist, such as the iPhone SE to SE 2 to iPhone 16e gaps, which stretched to more than four years each, but those are by design and not flagship cycles.
iPhone 17 set to outlast (with key differences)
If current reporting holds, iPhone 18 will not arrive until spring 2027. That would mean iPhone 17 will sit at the top of Apple’s mainline lineup for about 18 months, surpassing the iPhone 4’s record and setting a new benchmark for the longest standard iPhone run.
| Model | Launch | Replaced by | Duration at top |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 | September 2025 | iPhone 18, Spring 2027 (expected) | ~550 days, ~18 months (projected) |
| iPhone 4 | iPhone 4S | 477 days, ~15.7 months | |
| iPhone 11 Pro | iPhone 12 Pro | 399 days, ~13.1 months | |
| iPhone (2007) | iPhone 3G | 378 days, ~12.4 months |
One key difference between the iPhone 4 era and today is the existence of the Pro line. The iPhone 4 to iPhone 4S stretch created an upgrade drought for customers waiting for something new. This time, the iPhone 17 to iPhone 18 cycle will still see Pro (and soon, Air) models arriving annually, alongside what is expected to be Apple’s first folding iPhone. A foldable would be the most drastic hardware change to the iPhone ever, but the iPhone 17 is still on track to take the crown for the longest stretch between standard flagship replacements.
Apple announced this week that it will hold its next event on September 9. Chance and I will be in attendance for what is expected to be the iPhone 17 line and Apple Watch Series 11/Ultra 3 reveal.
Shortest iPhone cycle
As an aside, the smallest delta between iPhone upgrades may be surprising. The iPhone 12 to iPhone 13 cycle comes to mind as it lasted only 11 months after Apple corrected course following pandemic delays.
But despite being announced in September 2017, the iPhone X was replaced by the iPhone XS after just 10 months of actual availability due to the former model’s November 2017 release date.
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