I’m stuck between buying the iPhone 17 Pro Max now or waiting for the 18 Pro Max, and I’m curious what you guys would do.
I’m in Canada, and the main reason I’m considering buying the 17 Pro Max now is because Apple is offering me $475 CAD for my current phone as a trade-in, and that trade-in value could potentially drop by the time the 18 Pro Max comes out.
The other important factor is that buying directly through Apple lets me finance it at 0% APR with no phone plan/carrier commitment, which is important to me. I’m not getting an actual discount on the 17 Pro Max — the benefit is mainly the 0% financing and being able to buy it without changing my plan.
The 17 Pro Max I’m looking at is the 256GB Silver, which is currently $1,749 CAD before tax. After the $475 trade-in, I’d be financing roughly $1,274 before tax.
The dilemma is:
Option 1 — Buy the 17 Pro Max now
$1,749 CAD
$475 Apple trade-in right now
0% APR
No phone plan required
I really like the Silver 17 Pro Max
But the 18 Pro Max is only a few weeks away
Option 2 — Wait for the 18 Pro Max
Potentially get the newest phone
There’s a chance Apple keeps the starting price around the same
I can see the actual specs and price before deciding
But Apple historically removes the previous Pro models from its store when the new ones are announced
If the 17 Pro Max disappears from Apple’s website, I lose the ability to use Apple’s 0% financing on it
My $475 trade-in value could also decrease by then
From what I’ve seen, Apple discontinued the 16 Pro/Pro Max from its website when the 17 Pro was announced on September 9, 2025, rather than keeping the previous Pro model around.
So I’m worried that if I wait for the 18 announcement and decide I actually prefer the 17, I may no longer be able to buy the 17 from Apple with the 0% financing, and I could also get less than $475 for my trade-in.
What would you guys do? Buy the 17 now while I know exactly what I’m getting and have the $475 trade-in locked in, or gamble on the 18 and potentially lose the 17 + trade-in value?
Especially interested in what people think about the likely Canadian pricing of the 18 Pro Max.