“This looks legit”: Possible iPhone 17 Pro development device spotted in the wild

A device that could be a test version of the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro has reportedly been photographed in the wild, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman commenting, “Wow. This looks legit,” as images of the device surfaced online.

User Fox Puppy on X (formerly Twitter) shared two photos that appear to show an Apple engineer testing an unreleased iPhone. The device matches rumored descriptions of the iPhone 17 Pro, featuring a noticeably larger rear camera bar—an expected design update for the next-generation model.

In the images, a man wearing sunglasses is seen holding two devices, one of which is enclosed in an all-black case that conceals much of its design. The other man, whom the poster identified as a likely security guard, can be seen attempting to block the prototype from view whenever the tester pauses to interact with it.

While the authenticity of the images can’t be verified, Gurman’s response adds weight to speculation that the device could be a legitimate Apple development unit.

The standard iPhone 17 is anticipated to feature a 6.1-inch OLED display with ProMotion technology (up to 120Hz refresh rate), the new A19 chip, 12GB of RAM, and upgraded cameras, including a 48MP rear and 24MP front-facing lens.

The lineup will also debut the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, measuring just 5.5mm thick. Built with a titanium-aluminum alloy frame, it will allegedly sport a 6.6-inch OLED ProMotion display and similar camera specs to the base model.

The flagship iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to come in both 6.6-inch and 6.9-inch variants, featuring Liquid Retina XDR displays and a new A19 Pro chip built on TSMC’s 3nm process. Alongside 12GB of RAM, these devices will offer a triple 48MP camera system, including an ultra-wide and a periscope telephoto lens, with support for 8K video recording and enhanced thermal management. A new “Sky Blue” color option is also rumored.

Image: Fox Puppy