Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
69,086
40,119


While the iPhone 17 Pro is not expected to launch until September, a prototype of the device has potentially been spotted in the wild. However, the mysterious device could be just about anything, so this might simply be a false alarm.

iPhone-17-Pro-on-Desk-Centered-1.jpg

X account @Skyfops today shared two somewhat blurry photos of the mysterious device. The post was later shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

"I just spotted a test development iPhone in the wild," the post said.


In one of the photos, a person wearing reflective sunglasses can be seen holding what appears to be an iPhone inside of a thick black protective case, which might be intended to disguise the design of the iPhone 17 Pro in public. They are also holding what appears to be an iPhone 16 Pro with a sticker on the back of it, which could be hiding a data matrix code that allows Apple to track internal iPhones used by employees for development purposes.

What might make the disguised device an iPhone 17 Pro? Rumors indicate that the back of the device will have a rectangular camera bump, with the LED flash, rear microphone, and LiDAR Scanner expected to be vertically aligned on the right side of the bump. And in the photo, the back of the device seems to have circular openings in the top-right corner for what could be the LED flash and LiDAR Scanner.

Gurman seems to think the photos might be the real deal. "This looks legit," he said.

Adding to the intrigue, @Skyfops alleged that "the guy on the right was security and trying to go in front of the iPhone to hide it."

The user is located in Los Angeles, according to the account's bio.

Even if this really was an iPhone 17 Pro prototype in the wild, these photos do not really show anything that is not already rumored. But who doesn't love an old-school 2010-era rumor in mid-summer, as we count down the days to Apple's announcement?

Article Link: iPhone 17 Pro Spotted in the Wild?
 
Last edited:
This is OLD NEWS! The iPhone 17 Pro has been locked-in for months. Lots of people will buy it, so nobody cares about rumors about it anymore. Everyone who is anyone is getting stoked for the ALL NEW iPhone Fold! This changes everything, all over again!
 
well, if that guy with those sunglasses is an Apple employee ... might not have that job much longer ;)

these photos show way too little from what we allegedly "know" ...

Assuming he has permission to test it in the wild, and hasn't showed it off to anyone external deliberately. Then he'll be fine.

If he was at a bar trying to pull chicks with the old "wanna come back to my place and check out the next iphone?" then he'll be up for a world of hurt.
 
Is this written for TMZ or MacRumors? The tone of this article seems really off compared to what’s typically posted.

“Your guess is as good as ours”, “Who knows”, and “Allegedly!” It just feels weird this got past the editor as it was written. If they even have an editor 🤨
 
This is OLD NEWS! The iPhone 17 Pro has been locked-in for months. Lots of people will buy it, so nobody cares about rumors about it anymore. Everyone who is anyone is getting stoked for the ALL NEW iPhone Fold! This changes everything, all over again!
Lmao, right. A short and fat iPhone that is itself a design compromise that no one wants, all so it can unfold to almost the size of the worst iPad. Which you can have for the low price of $2k, even though you can get a better iPhone and a better iPad for less, lmao. Never has there been a bigger sucker device.
 
the lighting on the top left corner is way too perfect. The image doesn't even look real, more like AI.
 
Is this written for TMZ or MacRumors? The tone of this article seems really off compared to what’s typically posted.

“Your guess is as good as ours”, “Who knows”, and “Allegedly!” It just feels weird this got past the editor as it was written. If they even have an editor 🤨
MacRumors bot wrote it. Maybe that’s why it feels off.
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: dustin_ and klasma
Lol. Well, we all knew what the new design was going to be...we just didn't know Apple's reasonings for changing it.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.