The prototype of a new iPhone, which could be the next iPhone 17 Pro, was spotted in public several months before the release in September. It was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the account @Skyfops with two grainy photos of the unknown device. The post was rapidly gaining popularity as it was shared by Mark Gurman, a reporter at Bloomberg, who added the comment, “This looks legit,” but it is not clear whether he was joking or not.
In the photos, one can see a person holding the device, which is supposedly hidden under the protective case, which is big and black, probably used to mask its form. There is also another iPhone, which could be a 16 Pro, with a sticker on the back of it, which may cover Apple internal tracking markers. Although nothing can be concluded, the camera arrangement on the device is similar to those rumoured to come on the iPhone 17 Pro, increasing the speculation.
I just spotted a test development iPhone in the wild 🤩🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/iS3PtKWqxJ
— Fox Pupy 🦊🧡 (@Skyfops) July 28, 2025
Camera layout hints at iPhone 17 Pro design
Based on the leaks that have been made so far, the iPhone 17 Pro is set to have a redesigned rear camera bump, where the components will be vertically aligned, including the LiDAR scanner and the LED flash. The phone in one of the images has two circular cutouts in the upper-right part, which would fit this new design. Nonetheless, it is hard to check anything in the case.
Security presence speculation
Just to increase the mystery, @Skyfops says a security individual tried to cover the device so that it was not visible to people. This may be in favour of the supposition that the device is secret, but also, this may be a mistaken assumption or an exaggeration. The pictures, shot in Los Angeles, do not show much more than has already been talked about.
Regardless of whether it is real or not, such a sighting brings a nostalgic buzz that can take us back to the older leaks of the iPhone back in the early 2010s. This is just a minor leak ahead of Apple’s September event in the weeks to come, but it is still another way of creating excitement for the fans who are eagerly waiting to see what the company will announce.