With the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max already getting into the hands of their first owners around the globe, it’s only natural for everyone to start considering the protection of their new pricey possession. An obvious question is whether the iPhone 17 Pro cases will fit the new models, but it appears Apple isn’t being very honest about it.
Apple says iPhone 17 Pro cases won’t fit the iPhone 18 Pro
The iPhone 18 Pro models come with minimal design changes compared to the iPhone 17 Pro, which raises the obvious question if the accessories for the last year’s model will fit the new phones. When it comes to cases, Apple’s official answer is no.
Apple insider John Gruber writes in a Daring Fireball post that he asked the company about it, and the answer he received was that the two models are not case-compatible. The reason cited by the company is that the Pro iPhones have slightly thicker camera plateaus this year.
What type of protection do you use for your smartphone?
3 Votes
iPhone 17 Pro cases actually fit on the iPhone 18 Pro
Apple offers various iPhone 18 Pro accessories. | Image by Apple
Despite Apple’s statement, Gruber said the iPhone 17 Pro cases fitted perfectly the iPhone 18 Pro in his personal testings. He also measured the difference in the camera plateau thickness, and it turned out it does exist. Still, we’re talking about just one-tenth of a millimeter, with the new one being 11.5 mm vs. 11.4 mm on the 17 Pro.
Recommended For You
Technically, there’s a difference, and if you have an iPhone 17 Pro case that fits extremely snugly around the camera plateau, you may have a hard time using it on the new model. However, in practice, the cases should be interchangeable between the two models, with the exception of some rare third-party cases.
Users on Reddit have discovered that the iPhone 18 Pro cases fit the iPhone 17 Pro perfectly about a week ago. That’s when Apple’s new cases started arriving and ending up on last year’s phones. One user also reported that their third-party case directly said it was compatible with both models on the packaging a month ago.
Apparently third-party case manufacturers claim compatibility between the two models. | Image by Reddit (screenshot
It’s all a technicality
I am not at all shocked that Apple doesn’t want to say there’s case compatibility between the two models, because technically they’re different. There’s a slight chance this 0.1 mm difference becomes the reason for a case to not offer the protection someone is expecting, and it’s easier to say an outright no instead of giving complicated explanations. I’d still use whatever case looks best, regardless of the model it was originally made for.
Check out our hands-on with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo:
Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: