Leaker Majin Bu reports that Apple is developing a new iPhone 17 accessory: a shoulder strap for cases where the iPhone 17 hangs over your hip like a small bag. It keeps the iPhone always at hand, and you don’t have to fumble around to get it out of your pocket.
According to Bu, the strap works without carabiners or other physical clasps and relies entirely on magnets. A metal element that can be magnetically docked will be incorporated into the strap’s fabric. The two ends are reinforced with differently polarized magnetic rings that provide additional support. It appears that additional magnetic elements will be incorporated into the sides of Apple’s iPhone 17 cases to hold the strap in place, but Bu doesn’t go into specifics as to how the attachment works.
Such a magnetic system for mobile phone chains has advantages and disadvantages. It can be attached and removed almost blindly, as the magnets always stick to the right place on the case. No tedious unscrewing or detaching is necessary. The question arises as to its practicality: whether it can stay attached during normal use.
A magnet also introduces the possibility of interference for iPhone components that rely on electromagnetic waves. Since the iPhone XS, Apple has warned against magnetic covers that may impair the quality produced by the cameras. In the case of the Apple Watch and the compass function, Apple even warns against its magnetic wristbands, which can impair the functioning of the compass.
Magnetic locking systems are not new to Apple and have been tried and tested on Apple Watch straps for a decade. The previous Sport Loop straps, for example, relied on a magnetic clasp until 2019. The Milanese Loop and FineWoven watch bands still have a magnetic clasp. MagSafe, both on the iPhone and MacBook, also relies on magnets.
Apple is reportedly experimenting with both nylon straps made from a similar material used for the Apple Watch wristbands and silicone. A silicone strap would match the silicone cases of the new iPhone that Apple introduces every year. Apparently, the new mobile phone bands are already in production so that Apple can start selling them on the first day the iPhone goes on sale.
Bu’s reports in general must be viewed with some skepticism. He was already active as a leaker before the iPhone 16 was unveiled, but many of his claims turned out to be false: specific shades of iPhone colors never emerged, the event was held a day before what Bu reported, and the iPhone 16 Pro blueprint Bu posted turned out to be the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Apple’s Awe Dropping event is set for September 9, 2025. Want to know what to expect? We’re anticipating new hardware releases including the iPhone 17 (running iOS 26), Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3rd-gen (running watchOS 26), and potentially new AirPods. Find out how, when, and where to watch the Apple September Event, and keep tuned to our Event Guide for all the latest coverage. If you just can’t wait, here’s our satirical take on the Apple September Event keynote script – and don’t miss the Macworld Podcast iPhone event preview.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication Macwelt and was translated and localized from German.
Author: Halyna Kubiv, Staff Writer, Macwelt
Halyna Kubiv has been with German sister site Macwelt since 2010. She is passionate about Apple products, of course, but also topics related to fitness and health. In her spare time she likes to go hiking, and many an iPhone or Apple Watch has been put through its paces in the Bavarian mountains. Her passion for languages is not only expressed in a master's degree in German, but also in various areas of Python, which help her with data journalism.