When Apple presents the iPhone 17 series next month, it appears we will also get a refreshed version of Apple’s official protective cases. If the latest speculation holds true, the iPhone 17 case collection will draw design inspiration from the AirPods Pro 2 charging case.
It seems that Apple intends to incorporate an optional lanyard loop feature into its official iPhone 17 cases. This information comes from leakers Majin Bu and DuanRui. Apple already offers a similar lanyard loop slot on the AirPods Pro 2 charging case, and the anticipated lanyard loop slot in the iPhone 17 case design looks alike.
Initially, DuanRui shared a post on X featuring a lanyard loop slot on both sides of the bottom of the iPhone 17 Pro case from Apple (based on a design file). The translation from Chinese to English states: “The official case for the iPhone 17 Pro series will include two extra lanyard holes at the bottom.”
In another instance, Majin Bu released a blog entry displaying the so-called Liquid Silicone case design. Majin Bu concurs with the assertion that Apple is aiming to support optional lanyard accessories on the iPhone 17 case collection this year. The post also reveals what could potentially be the new design for Apple’s silicone case, although it’s always conceivable that Apple might utilize this design for a Beats-branded case instead.
This trend further solidifies the iPhone’s movement into specialized camera domains. Point-and-shoot cameras typically come equipped with a lanyard right from the box to help prevent dropping and misplacing your camera while capturing images. Apple has already introduced a dedicated Camera Control to the iPhone, placing a shutter button exactly where one would anticipate it.
Years past, Apple had even more groundbreaking features with the iPod touch, though a subsequent revision of the iPod touch eliminated the built-in retractable lanyard button.
What are your thoughts? Should Apple incorporate a lanyard loop slot into its official iPhone cases? Both leakers have reliably hinted at FineWoven cases being part of previous years’ offerings, so there’s justification to trust their reports.
Third-party iPhone cases already provide similar capabilities for current iPhones, but this would mark a first for an Apple-branded case — even if the lanyard is offered separately, as exemplified by the AirPods Pro 2 charging case.