The iPhone 17 series is right around the corner – we’re expecting full reveals for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max at Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event on September 9.
Amidst the last-minute rumors, a notable tipster and leaker has shared images that supposedly show off a new crossbody strap accessory for Apple’s upcoming TechWoven cases for the iPhone 17 family.
Renowned tech tipster Sonny Dickson shared the images in a post to X, which show a woven strap in bright orange. Eye-catching, sure, but not exactly exciting on its own. Indeed, we have no way to verify Dickson’s assertion that this is an actual Apple product.
However, if we look back to previous rumors about the mentioned TechWoven cases, things start to piece together. In August 2025, fellow leaker Majin Bu shared an image that supposedly shows two boxed Apple TechWoven cases for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. On the rear of one of the boxes, compatibility with a “Crossbody Strap” is mentioned – which could be the bright orange cord shown in Sonny Dickson’s post.
The ends of the Crossbody Strap appear to have some kind of fabric or elastic loop, which could tie around the spaces in the bottom of the TechWoven case highlighted in a diagram shown in the images Majin Bu shared. It seems likely that other colors would be produced alongside orange, but this is as-yet unconfirmed.
Wearing your iPhone
Ostensibly, the Crossbody Strap and TechWoven case combination could allow iPhone users to carry their phone hands-free – which would, in fairness, require some certainty in the strength of both the strap and the case. It’s not a novel concept (case makers like Casetify offer similar cases), but it would be Apple’s first attempt at such a product, so some assurance or demonstration would be nice.
Still, I’m not sure you’d catch me walking around with a $999 / £999 / AU$1,849 phone dangling from a piece of fabric. I’m sure Apple would have tested both products extensively before even considering going to market, but I’d still be concerned about thieves-to-be spotting my fancy new iPhone.
The Crossbody Strap is also evocative of camera straps, which seems to fit the iPhone’s trajectory towards photography – there are various camera upgrades rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, and there’s a very high likelihood of the Camera Control capacitative shutter button making it to this year’s models. For the needs of the everyday user, the Crossbody Strap could make the iPhone a viable replacement for a point-and-shoot camera.
That’s all entirely speculative for now, though. Let us know what you think about wearing your iPhone with the Crossbody Strap in the comments below.