In a rare breach of Apple’s tightly controlled secrecy, what appears to be a prototype of the iPhone 17 Pro has been spotted in public.

Shared by X user @Skyfops, two images taken in San Francisco’s Union Square show a man holding two iPhones, one of which is clearly an iPhone 16 Pro.

The second device, clad in a thick black case clearly designed to conceal its body, is believed to be a test unit of the iPhone 17 Pro.

While Apple has of course not commented, the physical features of the mystery device – particularly the relocated flash and LiDAR sensor – line up with previous iPhone 17 Pro leaks pointing to a major rear camera redesign.

According to recent reports, Apple is expected to adopt a new horizontal camera bar across the top of the device, departing from the long-standing square module.

Adding credibility to the leak, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman commented on X, saying: “This looks legit.”

Gurman’s track record with Apple leaks is strong and his comment is fuelling further speculation that we’ve just had our first look at the real iPhone 17 Pro weeks ahead of its expected September debut.

Given the visibility of the incident and its timing, it’s hard not to wonder if this was a genuine slip or a calculated stunt to stir pre-launch buzz.

This isn’t the first time a major phone has leaked in public.

Just two months ago, the upcoming Pixel 10 was accidentally revealed during a commercial shoot on a Vancouver beach, showing off not just its design but also Google’s next-gen AI camera tools.

As for the iPhone 17 Pro, speculation is swirling about significant camera upgrades, including 8x optical zoom and a new camera app, but nothing is confirmed.

Still, this sighting, just a stone’s throw from Apple HQ in Cupertino, suggests real-world testing is underway.