An alleged iPhone 17 Pro prototype may have just made its first real-world appearance. Blurry images shared online show what looks like a masked iPhone — one that closely matches the design rumors for the iPhone 17 Pro.
While the authenticity is hard to verify, the timing and details point to this possibly being a late prototype unit.
Is this an iPhone 17 Pro prototype unit?
Apple will supposedly redesign the iPhone 17 Pro’s rear camera island this year. It will feature a horizontal camera island, running from one side to another. While the camera sensors will sit in the same triangle layout as seen on the current models, the flash and LiDAR sensors will move to the other side.
The “test development iPhone” unit spotted by X user @Skyfops mirrors the design language seen in alleged iPhone 17 design renders. He even says that there was a security guard in front of the person using the alleged prototype iPhone 17 Pro unit to try and hide it.
It’s tough to confirm the authenticity of the image or the device itself. It could very well be an iPhone 16 Pro with a custom case.
I just spotted a test development iPhone in the wild pic.twitter.com/iS3PtKWqxJ
— Fox Pupy (@Skyfops) July 28, 2025
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, known for his accurate Apple leaks, reposted the image, saying, “Wow. This looks legit.” But then, he just might be being sarcastic.
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 soon
Apple will reportedly unveil the iPhone 17 in the second week of September. So, it should send out invites for the launch event in the latter half of August, as it usually does.
This also means we should start seeing an uptick in iPhone 17 leaks. Supply-chain sources, in particular, are likely to share more details as the devices enter mass production.
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
