We’ve got our hands on iPhone 17 mockups. Here’s what the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Air will look like, and feel like once they ship in September 2025.
Most case manufacturers don’t get any support from Apple. All of the companies involved have to get a let-up on competition to get an early piece of the iPhone case market, and launching cases that work with new iPhones every year is a billion-dollar industry.
To further that end, dummy units are produced in spring by case and accessory manufacturers. All of the firms source design files from sometimes sketchy sources for the new phones to get as early a start as possible on designing and manufacturing products.
Historically, the dummy units we’ve gotten around this time of year have been spot-on with accuracy, but there is no guarantee. The models also only show off what the outside will be shaped like and give no hints on the internals or the display.
The new lineup is expected to include iPhone 17, an ultra-thin model rumored to be called iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We got dummy units, in both black and white, for all four models into our studio.
Let’s check them all out.
iPhone 17
The most unexciting of the lot is the iPhone 17 model. As rumors had suggested, it’s basically an iPhone 16 on the outside.
The iPhone 17 looks very similar to iPhone 16
We see the vertically-oriented camera module, the Camera Control, and all the other hallmarks of an iPhone 16. Until Apple reveals the new colors, this could be interchangeable for the existing devices.
While it will have updated internals, Apple is clearly making a move to nudge consumers up to higher priced devices by highlighting newer designs.
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max
It starts to get more exciting as we move to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The first thing you notice is the massive camera bump atop each phone.
Holding up the new iPhone 17 Pro in black and white
The bump runs the full width of the phone, looking similar to a Google Pixel device. We won’t know how the internals get rearranged for sure until the phone launches, but rumors say it was due to rotating the new telephoto camera module.
A closeup of the iPhone 17 Pro Max camera module
There’s still the trio of camera lenses on the left while the flash, microphone, and the LiDAR sensor have moved to the right.
Between the two, we prefer the look of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The camera bumps are the physical size on both phones, so it looks more proportional on the larger device.
The iPhone 17 Pro compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max
Our dummy unit has a SIM card tray on the left side, while our iPhone 16 Pro model does not. That’s because the global iPhone models still retain those while the US phones are all eSIM only.
In a direct comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro is just as thick as our iPhone 16 Pro. They have the same button layout, antenna bands, and ports.
The new design has symmetrical speaker holes
The only physical change we could note was that the iPhone 17 Pro has five holes on either side of the USB-C port. The iPhone 16 Pro has five on the right for the speaker and three on the left for the microphone.
iPhone 17 Air
The model most users will probably be excited for is the iPhone 17 Air. At least, that’s what most rumors have called it.
The iPhone 17 Air in black and white
It has a radically thin form factor that is unlike anything else we’ve seen before in an iPhone. Rumors have cited it as around 5.5mm or 5.6mm thick, which is what our dummies measures up as.
Comparing the iPhone 16 Pro to the iPhone 17 Air
We compared it to our iPhone 16 Pro and the difference between the two was drastic. While weight is impossible to judge at this time, picking it up for the first time was surreal.
Camera module on iPhone 17 Air
The camera bump on this model is smaller than the pros, due to only a single camera located on the back. By all accounts, it will be a single, 48MP lens.
Apple will surely promote it as at least two cameras in one thanks to its ability to crop to 2X optical-quality zoom. We’ll have to wait to see if Apple has any other upgrades for this camera too.
The camera protrudes significantly on the iPhone 17 Air
One thing we did notice though, was how much it protruded from the body. Since the body is so thin, the camera juts out even more.
A side-by-side shot of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 17 Air
To make this device, Apple will have to miniaturize many components. Even the buttons on the side have to shrink or they won’t fit.
The USB-C port is off center on the iPhone 17 Air
The bottom USB-C port is nearly as thick as the body. At least according to this set of dummies, Apple was forced to make the port-off center, closer to the back of the device than the front.
Compared to the base model or even the pro models, there are only two holes on either side of the charging port. Two for the mic, two for the speaker.
This could mean the speaker volume will be lower than the other modules, but makes sense with such a small volume to house everything.
It’s a bit comical because our dummy unit arrived slightly warped. This is due to it being plastic and glass versus a real device, but it does represent a real worry users will have.
Apple is sure to focus heavily on the structure of such a thin phone and put it through rigorous testing ahead of launch. “Bendgate” was poorly named, but a concern just the same.
Release this fall
Apple is set to release the new round of iPhones this fall. Historically the even takes place in September, alongside the new Apple Watch refreshes.
All four iPhone 17 dummy models
Be sure to stay tuned to AppleInsider as we get closer to launch and see how accurate these mockups turn out to be.
