This viral video of the iPhone 17 Pro has 130 million views and counting. It's also fake.
The iPhone 17 Pro is here — and so are a bunch of fake iPhone 17 Pro videos.
Apple announced the new iPhone 17 Pro (and Pro Max) at its event on Tuesday. You can preorder the new phones starting Friday, Sept. 12, and shipping begins on Sept. 19. But, of course, some folks have already gotten their hands on the phones for demos — like MrBeast, apparently, who was at the event for some reason.
But other creators are also sharing fake videos of the iPhone 17 Pro, which show them demoing features that don't actually exist. One viral video on Instagram Reels, with 1.5 million likes and 130 million views, depicts the Cosmic Orange phone with a rotating camera array that reveals a hidden selfie screen. Search for the iPhone 17 on Instagram, and fake videos like this fill the top results for Reels posts.
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Based on the comments, most users can tell the videos are fake.
"yeah it’s going to take them 10 more years for this feature," one person commented.
"It would have been more realistic if you held the other phone in your left hand. It looks like you have two right hands," another person wrote under the video.
The video with the swiveling camera array comes from VFX artist Roman Bykov (@bykovfx), who has shared other viral videos of the iPhone 17 Pro. One of the creator's videos shows an iPhone that can change colors with a tap on the case. (Sadly, the iPhone 17 Pro doesn't come in green or red.) Another shows the flagship phone with a second display on the back, which can be used for scrolling through messages.
The new iPhone 17 Pro does have an impressive selfie camera. It has up to 18MP, compared to the 12MP on previous models, and can automatically flip orientation depending on what it sees in the photo. That means you don't have to flip your whole phone to get a selfie with a wide group. The back-facing camera also has triple 48MP fusion cameras and an ultrawide lens.
The viral videos of the iPhone 17 Pro are clearly altered, but they could still fool unsuspecting viewers.
There are plenty of ways to tell if a video isn't quite right. If it's a video you suspect is using AI, check out our handy guide for identifying AI-generated videos. If you suspect a video is using a factory fake or dummy iPhone model, look at the camera bumps — that's usually a good giveaway for phony Apple products. Finally, always make sure you're viewing videos from a reputable source, not a visual effects artist.
Topics Apple iPhone Viral Videos
Christianna Silva is a senior culture reporter covering social platforms and the creator economy, with a focus on the intersection of social media, politics, and the economic systems that govern us. Since joining Mashable in 2021, they have reported extensively on meme creators, content moderation, and the nature of online creation under capitalism.
Before joining Mashable, they worked as an editor at NPR and MTV News, a reporter at Teen Vogue and VICE News, and as a stablehand at a mini-horse farm. You can follow her on Bluesky @christiannaj.bsky.social and Instagram @christianna_j.
