Hands on with all four iPhone 17 dummy models

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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.

Four smartphones held in hands, two black and two white, with different camera arrangements on a light background.
All four of the rumored iPhone 17 models



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.

Two hands hold black and white smartphones, each with three cameras on the back, against a plain white background.
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.

A person holds two smartphones, one white and one black, both showcasing triple camera setups on the back.
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.

Close-up of a smartphone's back with three camera lenses and a flash on a sleek, black surface.
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.

Two hands holding two white smartphones with triple cameras positioned against a plain background.
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.

Two hands holding and comparing the bottom edges of two smartphones with charging ports and speaker holes visible.
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.

Two hands holding smartphones; left hand holds phone sideways, right hand holds white phone upright, showing camera.
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.

Hand measuring thickness of two smartphones with a ruler on a table. Both devices have visible side buttons and protruding cameras.
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.

Close-up of a smartphone's rear camera and flash on a white surface, featuring a circular lens and a small flash unit beside it.
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.

A close-up of a ruler measuring the thickness of a smartphone, with a purple gradient background.
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.

Two hands holding two smartphones side-by-side, displaying differing thicknesses and buttons against a plain white background.
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.

Hands holding a smartphone and a USB-C cable ready for connection against a blurred background.
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.

Four white smartphones with varying camera designs on a table, against a background with blue and red lighting.
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.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 1,441member
    There is no doubting the "cool" factor of the Air--and the pent-up demand for a new iPhone form factor--and those factors alone will likely make it a sellout at launch and for weeks if not months thereafter. (Although highly dependent on the lunatic tariffs, of course.) But once the buzz and hype pass, as they inevitably will, the question remains: do you really want essentially "17e" specs for $900-ish dollars? On second thought, battery life will likely be worse than an "e" model iPhone, and the speakers crappier. I'm on the iPhone Upgrade program, so I switch out my phone annually, and the Air piqued my interest a bit when I read the rumor that its single lens would be an all-new optic that covered the full range of the ultrawide and main lenses. I especially didn't want to lose the macro capability that's handled by the ultrawide lens--as for the telephoto, well, I'd live without it for a year and see what I thought. But if this is really just the 16e lens, which appears will be the case, that's a dealbreaker, especially at this price point. 
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  • Reply 2 of 7
    timpetustimpetus Posts: 67member
    Well, I guess they don't care about it looking good anymore, it's like the 2026 Outback of phones. They don't even seem to be making any use of the extra space under that ridiculous camera bar. They could at least put extra battery or other components in there. What I really want is a return of the flush lenses, like we had with the 5S and before. If that means we have to make the end of the phone thicker, that's fine with me!
    mike1williamlondonappleinsideruserleftoverbacondebonboncolumbia
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  • Reply 3 of 7
    leftoverbaconleftoverbacon Posts: 66member
    timpetus said:
    Well, I guess they don't care about it looking good anymore, it's like the 2026 Outback of phones. They don't even seem to be making any use of the extra space under that ridiculous camera bar. They could at least put extra battery or other components in there. What I really want is a return of the flush lenses, like we had with the 5S and before. If that means we have to make the end of the phone thicker, that's fine with me!

    This right here. sooo tired of camera bumps. the 5S/SE was peak iPhone design. Give me a phone that I can use with 1 hand, & can have lay flat on my desk and not wobble without a case. I have absolutely zero desire for a micro thin phone with a giant bump on the back.
    williamlondondebonboncolumbia
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  • Reply 4 of 7
    thttht Posts: 5,908member
    Is it me, or is the corner radius on the camera bump not concentric? That seems like a design sin to me. It should also be a squircle. It's circular in the dummy.

    They made it concentric with the camera lens ring. So, choices needed to be made, but I don't think I would have made that choice.
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  • Reply 5 of 7
    m4m40m4m40 Posts: 40member
    It looks idiotic. Kinda like Pixel phones.
    williamlondoncolumbia
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  • Reply 6 of 7
    debonbondebonbon Posts: 17member
    The camera bump is THE worst part of the iPhone, the Air looks horrid. What I’d give for a flat phone. 
    williamlondoncolumbia
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  • Reply 7 of 7
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 1,441member
    debonbon said:
    The camera bump is THE worst part of the iPhone, the Air looks horrid. What I’d give for a flat phone. 
    I can tell you what you'd give for a flat phone: you'd give up any kind of decent camera system, unless you want a thick phone, but you're in a very small minority that no phone maker thinks is worth pursuing. In the meantime, try a 16e, one of the best looking iPhones ever, especially in black, and the single small lens bump is only about 1.5 credit cards thick. 

    tht said:
    Is it me, or is the corner radius on the camera bump not concentric? That seems like a design sin to me. 
    I see what you're seeing on the Air. Weird, Apple's design language across its whole product line is rounded rectangles. And you see that language in the bump on the Pro models, which is what makes them very different from a Pixel bump--that and the signature iPhone triangular arrangement of the lenses. But the Air bump is an elongated oval, which is exactly what Pixel uses. but Apple places it in a worse position. Pixel moves it away from the upper edge, so the oval shape doesn't clash with the rounded rectangle corners. Apple keeps the bump closer to the top edge, where the oval fights the rounded corners. This is really inelegant design work. 


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