Images circulating on social media appear to show a masked prototype of Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro being used in public in California. The device, encased in a thick black shell, displays a wide rectangular camera bar that runs across the handset’s rear—matching design schematics shared earlier this year. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman called the photos “legit,” lending weight to the leak, although the images have not been authenticated and Apple declined to comment. The layout in the photos aligns with recent reports from MacRumors, AppleInsider and Cult of Mac that the flash, rear microphone and LiDAR sensor will shift to the right side of the camera bar, freeing space for upgraded optics. A separate MacRumors report, citing a source involved in an iPhone 17 Pro commercial, says the handset will feature an 8-times optical-zoom telephoto lens, a second hardware Camera Control button and a dedicated “Pro” camera application aimed at photographers and filmmakers. Apple customarily unveils new iPhones in early September, and supply-chain watchers say mass production is imminent. If the prototype sighting is genuine, it suggests late-stage field testing is under way. The iPhone 17 lineup is also rumoured to introduce a slimmer variant, brighter displays and Apple’s A19 chip, but final specifications will not be confirmed until the company’s launch event.