Apple’s newest hardware is enticing, but the week of a launch is seldom the wisest time to click “buy.” Prices are as high as they get, promo values have not reached their peak and real-world testing is only just starting. For the best mix of value and certainty, here are four Apple products you should consider not buying this week — including a pair of iPhone 17 devices.
Why waiting might make sense
Consumer buying patterns favor patience. Studies from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners have consistently indicated that more than half of U.S. iPhone sales come through carriers, where trade-in credits and billingsets prices usually improve after the initial wave. Historic pricing from top retailers also indicates that Apple’s audio products are collectively marked down faster than its Macs or iPads, kept as loss leaders to steed all other lightning cable adopters in their direction. Throw in early-batch kinks and day-one software patches, and all you’ll have missed by waiting two weeks is the surprise headaches and spending another 10 bucks.
Avoid: iPhone 17 (base model)
The standard iPhone 17 is what millions gravitate toward — and that’s precisely why you shouldn’t buy it this week. The effective price paid by early adopters is as high as it gets before carriers launch their most aggressive promos. Top U.S. carriers in recent cycles escalated from small launch credits to significant bill credits for trade-ins and premium plans following the cooling of the initial order frenzy. If you can hold off, chances are good that a better deal will come along without forcing you to compromise on color or storage capacity.
And then there’s the storage upsell factor. Industry watchers like TrendForce have been saying for a while now that NAND flash — the sort of memory used by these devices — costs manufacturers way, way less than we pay as consumers to raise capacities from 128GB or 256GB on up to 512GB. Waiting a little bit means you’ll have an opportunity to shop for the capacity you actually need at a discount — instead of paying top dollar simply not to be stuck with the base tier.
Finally, launch-week hardware often ships with fast-following firmware updates that address connectivity, camera tuning and battery management.
Independent testers and repair geeks like iFixit tend to find minor differences in the displays, modems or thermal performance within weeks. Take a breath and let the findings land before you make that kind of commitment.
Avoid: iPhone 17 Air
The ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air is the new hotness — and the one most dangerous to impulse-buy on day one. Earlier models, especially those emphasizing thinness on a first-generation design, deserve to be scrutinized for durability, performance and battery life. You’ll need to see stress tests, drop tests and careful battery run-downs from arms-length independent labs and reviewers before you decide if this design truly is a better everyday phone than the models it essentially replaces.
And repairability, and long-term costs, are considerations as well. Teardowns will tell us about the display’s serviceability, as well as that back glass and camera assembly on the Air. If the design uses a lot of glue or custom components, out-of-warranty repairs could be more expensive — which is something to think about if you don’t tend to buy AppleCare+.
Don’t Buy: Apple Watch Series 11
The newest Apple Watch is getting improvements in health features, but some of them won’t be available everywhere at launch. In the past, capabilities like ECG and AFib history were released in stages as regulators such as U.S.-based Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the MHRA in the U.K. evaluated them. If you’re buying specifically for new health metrics — like alerts around high blood pressure — wait to hear that they are supported where you live and in your health provider’s ecosystem.
There’s also the deal dynamic. After the initial preorder rush, they sweeten Watch purchases with gift cards or extra bands, carrier bundle discounts. Independent testing from the likes of Consumer Reports typically publishes durability, battery life and accuracy results in weeks; those could sway whether you go with the standard model or step up to the Ultra tier.
Avoid: AirPods Pro 3
AirPods Pro is Apple’s most discounted hardware line by far. In recent generations, the big chains have routinely lopped 15 to 25 percent off MSRP within weeks, and holiday windows have pushed prices lower still. Buy this week and you’re paying the early adopter tax for buds that almost certainly won’t maintain list price very long.
Performance usually stabilizes after the first firmware updates, as well. See, there were some active noise cancellation changes that led to an argument with previous revisions of the AirPods Pro. Let Apple tweak and tune ANC, transparency mode (this is obvious now), and any new health features for a second year, then buy once the community consensus settles in around sound quality, mic quality and battery longevity.
The intelligent play this week
If your existing phone, watch or earbuds have crapped out on you, get what you need — as long as trade-ins are maxed and return windows are checked. All the rest of us should take a brief pause. Carriers will hone offerings, retailers will deliver bundles and independent testing will put space between headliner features and day-in, day-out performance. In a buying cycle as packed as this year’s, patience isn’t merely a virtue; it’s a savings strategy.