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iPhone 17 Pro’s ‘Test Development’ Unit Allegedly Spotted in Public Ahead of September Launch

iPhone 17 Pro’s ‘Test Development’ Unit Allegedly Spotted in Public Ahead of September Launch

A person was spotted holding an unrecognised iPhone with what appears to be the iPhone 16 Pro but with the Apple logo hidden.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 29 July 2025 09:53 IST

iPhone 17 Pro’s ‘Test Development’ Unit Allegedly Spotted in Public Ahead of September Launch

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (pictured) has the flash and LiDAR sensor placed on the left side

Highlights

A test unit of the iPhone 17 Pro was allegedly seen in public
The spotted unit matches recent iPhone 17 Pro render leaks
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman commented on the recent sighting

The iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September, ringing in a myriad of changes beginning with the design. The Pro models are thought to carry a visor-like camera island at the back that encompasses the entire top half of the phone. Ahead of launch, an alleged iPhone 17 Pro was spotted in the wild with design elements similar to what rumours have been suggesting. It is claimed to be a “test development” unit of the iPhone 17 Pro.

iPhone 17 Pro Spotted in the Wild

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), user @Skyfops shared a post with the caption, “I just spotted a test development iPhone in the wild”. It accompanied two images, in one of which a person is seen holding an unrecognised iPhone with what appears to be the iPhone 16 Pro but with the Apple logo hidden.

I just spotted a test development iPhone in the wild 🤩🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/iS3PtKWqxJ
— Fox Pupy 🦊🧡 (@Skyfops) July 28, 2025

The unrecognised device has a triple rear camera unit at the back which is similar to the current models. However, what's different is the placement of the flash and the LiDAR sensor. On the iPhone 16 Pro models, both of them are located above and below the camera rings on the left. Meanwhile, they can be seen placed on the right side of the back of the alleged test iPhone.

Their positions are consistent with the renders and dummy units of the iPhone 17 Pro models which have surfaced in recent months. On the other hand, the second image showed the front of the phones and the alleged iPhone 17 Pro appears to be heavily protected and hidden in a chunky case.

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The person carrying the “test development” iPhone 17 Pro was allegedly accompanied by a bodyguard who stopped “whenever the guy carrying the iPhone stopped”.

However, what really added fuel to the fire is a comment by a seasoned journalist. In a quote repost of the original the X post, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman wrote, “Wow. This looks legit”, sparking more speculation, although some believe it might have been done in a sarcastic tone.

With just months remaining till Apple unveils the iPhone 17 series, we can expect the intensity of leaks to increase. However, not every rumour is 100 percent accurate and thus, should be read with a little bit of scepticism.

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Further reading: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, Apple, iPhone 16 Pro

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More