Is This the Final iPhone 17 Pro Design? Test Unit Spotted Ahead of Official Launch

The iPhone 17 Pro is all but confirmed. Apple’s upcoming premium-end smartphone has been leaked in several renders, corroborated by dummies that give a fair idea of what the iPhone 17 Pro could look like in the real world. But how often have we seen the actual test unit of an upcoming iPhone? That’s rare because Apple has a stringent policy against leaks, even though it mostly fails to enforce it entirely. However, an iPhone 17 Pro test unit was just spotted in San Francisco, hinting that all the leaks have been correct.

A user who goes by @Skyfops on X (formerly Twitter) has shared a photo of a man holding two iPhones. One is a caseless iPhone 16 Pro with a data matrix code on the back, suggesting that Apple has commissioned it for its employees. The other one is what has got everyone curious. It is an iPhone covered in a case, likely to hide its design. While there is no way to confirm it is the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro, the repositioned LED and LiDAR sensor on a camera bar are in line with the design leaked in renders. That is the biggest giveaway that the iPhone test unit the person is holding is an iPhone 17 Pro or 17 Pro Max.

While people were still speculating about the credibility of this image, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said it is a “legit” image. Given his track record for Apple-related leaks, his corroboration makes it clear that the prototype’s design could be final and make its way to the commercially available iPhone 17 Pro, when it likely arrives in September. However, Apple never reveals or confirms anything before the launch, so the exact design of the next iPhone Pro model will be out only during the launch.

The new camera bar on the iPhone 17 Pro could set it apart from all previous models, allaying concerns about the stagnation of innovation in design on Apple’s smartphones. According to reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will have a dual-tone finish on the back, with the camera bar having a darker shade than the rest of the body, which could also have a slab on the bottom portion with a repositioned Apple logo.

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