dBrand’s Tank Shows Us What a Rugged iPhone 17 Pro Case Will Look Like
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With Apple’s September iPhone launch event just around the corner, case companies have begun marketing their new entries for the upcoming iPhone 17 models. While not everything we’re seeing is particularly inspiring, dBrand is giving us a peek into a more protective option for the iPhone 17 Pro.
Appropriately dubbed the “Tank,” the new case both looks and acts the part. Perhaps most significantly, it’s also a confirmation of what the iPhone 17 Pro will look like.
The Tank case will be available for the entire iPhone 17 lineup, including the “iPhone 17 Air,” but dBrand has already published photos of the iPhone 17 Pro version. There aren’t too many surprises here, but it does show the wider camera array, complete with the LED flash and LiDAR Scanner sitting on the opposite edge from the cameras.
The case offers full button coverage, but the images show the proper spots for the sleep/wake and Camera Control on one side, plus the Action button and volume buttons on the other. dBrand hasn’t shared any images of the top or bottom of the case, so there are no answers as to whether the rumored second Camera Control is present. However, we remain skeptical about this one, and the full rear image doesn’t show any evidence of a cutout or indentation that would accommodate such a button.
dBrand has added some fascinating design touches to Tank. The number 4.123 squared appears on the rear between the camera lenses and the flash and LiDAR Scanner, which is a clever way of representing “17,” and it’s also accompanied by a set of coordinates: 37.2431°N and 115.7930°W. I got a chuckle when I looked those up, but I won’t spoil it here.
They’ve also placed a version of the Eye of Providence in the center of the MagSafe ring, which, contrary to some earlier rumors, doesn’t appear to have been moved down. A set of raised dots outside the MagSafe ring looks like it may be braille, but doesn’t appear to resolve to anything meaningful (although I’m no expert).
dBrand hasn’t shared any specifics on what kind of drop protection we can expect, or even what the case is made of. However, based on its reputation, it’s safe to say that this case will live up to its name and be every bit as durable as it looks. The tagline also highlights the need to protect your iPhone 17 in a somewhat whimsical way:
They sell you fragility, then sell you fear.
Glass and metal. Planned obsolescence for the
dopamine machine. Anxiety is the business model.
If the Tank case cannot save you, nothing can.
It’s unclear if dBrand or other accessory makers have been given any inside info on what the iPhone 17 Pro will be made of, but several reports suggest that Apple may abandon titanium this year for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. In this scenario, titanium would be exclusive to the new “iPhone 17 Air,” while the Pro models would use an aluminum frame for the first time since the higher-end lineup came into existence with the stainless steel iPhone X.
Apple switched to titanium in 2023 with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, significantly reducing the weight of both models while still setting them apart by using a more premium Grade 5 titanium to provide even greater durability. Some reports have suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro will extend this aluminum frame around to the rear of the case, with a glass panel inset. Still, other reports have contradicted that, showing renders with the same edge-to-edge glass design.
These design aspects are hard to pin down from the leaked information available, much of which comes from accessory makers who need to know dimensions but not necessarily much about materials. While there’s every reason to believe the visual design of the iPhone 17 Pro will align with what we’ve seen over the past few weeks, we probably won’t know these other details until Apple takes the stage to announce it next month.
