The next Pro iPhone is shaping up to be an absolute unit

Summary

A new dummy unit iPhone 17 Pro hand-on from Majin Bu is making its rounds on the internet.
The short video, which is posted on X, gives us a real-world glimpse at what Apple’s updated Pro camera hump design might look like.
The video also showcases the thicker chassis design that’s rumored to arrive on the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max models later this year.

Another day, another glimpse of the iPhone 17 Pro.

This time around, the internet is abuzz with a short 34-second video from tech industry leaker Majin Bu on T̶w̶i̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ X. In this brief hands-on, Bu showcases the physical design of an iPhone 17 Pro dummy unit, which is likely to have been 3D printed based off rumored dimensions and rogue CAD files.

At this point, we have a fairly good idea of what Apple has in store with its upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max models, which are expected to debut around September of this year. Major leaks and rumors point to a redesigned rear camera protrusion, which will feature a more Google Pixel-like ‘camera bar’ styling. There are some indications of Apple switching over from titanium to aluminum for the side frames of these next Pro iPhones, as well as a possible new glass-and-aluminum hybrid rear panel.

Of course, these supposed changes to the iPhone Pro’s materials aren’t conveyed through Bu’s dummy model. What is discernible, however, is the increased chassis thickness of the upcoming handset. When compared to the existing iPhone 16 Pro’s 0.32-inch (8.25 mm) thickness, the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to be a few millimeters thicker, which Bu’s unit corroborates here.

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An alleged design for the iPhone 17 Air. — Pocket-lint / Apple Hub

A thicker iPhone isn’t a bad thing — it provides additional internal volume for a larger battery capacity, more robust thermal management, and bigger optical sensors. Pro-tier iPhones are packed with premium technological components, and a thicker body gives room for these high-tech handsets to breathe. The added girth can also work in the device’s favor in terms of durability and robustness — we don’t want a repeat of the iPhone 6’s infamous bendgate, after all.

The interesting part about this development, however, is that it’s expected to arrive in concert with the long-rumored debut of an iPhone Slim model, which some analysts refer to as the iPhone Air. Thin is in again not only at Apple, but also at Samsung, and it’s interesting to see a simultaneous embrace of tanky chassis design within the very same iPhone 17 lineup that’ll bring us the thinnest iPhone ever engineered.

Thin is in again not only at Apple, but also at Samsung.

Of course, nothing has yet been confirmed by Apple, and we won’t know the true accuracy of these leaks and design mock-ups until the tech giant takes the wraps off its next-generation handsets in the fall. Interestingly, newer rumors point towards a possible shift in iPhone launch strategy, with Apple reportedly looking into a staggered release of Pro and non-Pro models of the iPhone 18 series in 2026. In any case, Pocket-lint will be keeping a close eye on all things Apple, particularly as we enter WWDC 2025 software season next month.

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