This could be our first look at the real world at the next generation of Apple smartphones, with a photo posted by the X user @Skyfops seemingly revealing the mythical iPhone 17 Pro being tested in the wild, hidden in the thick black case. Despite Apple’s attempt to cloak the device’s identity, eagle-eyed fans spotted the telltale signs of a pre-production model.
The photo shows a man with a cap and sunglasses and two iPhones in his hand, one of which is obviously the latest Pro model, and the other one is covered with a thick, protective case. The case is designed to hide a majority of the hardware, but careful cutouts allow seeing the flash and LiDAR sensor position. All these minor details are powerful hints that the secret device is an iPhone 17 Pro of 2025. A side shot in a second photo shows the case is exceptionally thick, a standard trick the company likes to use to cover prototypes in plain view in public places.
It is also interesting to note that there is a muscular security guard trying, unsuccessfully, to prevent photos from being taken. The images have circulated on social media, causing speculation and excitement despite the best attempts of Apple.
Apple has a rich history of attempting to keep future products secret, literally in some cases. In April 2010, another prototype of the iPhone 4 was left at a bar in San Jose, also disguised in a case to evade detection. Now skip to 2025, and the technology has improved, but the plan is still the same.
Mark Gurman, an analyst at Bloomberg, recently estimated that the iPhone 17 series would be announced during the week of the 8th of September. Apple usually does not launch on Mondays and Fridays and is also unlikely to hold an event on September 11th. That leaves the most likely announcement days to be Tuesday or Wednesday.
In the meantime, they will have their eyes peeled and cameras at the ready to capture more secretive sightings of the most anticipated Apple device. This might not be the final time secrets of Apple are leaked out under the limelight.
