Tech giant's iPhone X, other products leaked
Details of the company's as-yet-unreleased iPhone X and other products have been revealed in an apparent leak.
The leak emanated from two news sites - 9to5Mac and MacRumors - who were given access to the new unreleased version of the iOS operating system.
The code hints on an iPhone X in addition to two iPhone 8 handsets. It also revealed a facial recognition tech feature that acts as both the ID system and maps users' expression onto emojis.
The tech company is reputed for keeping its technologies under wraps until its showcase events, and this fact was reiterated by the company's CEO Tim Cook who spoke in 2012 of the need to "double down" on concealment measures.
Apple is holding a launch event slated to take place at its new headquarters on Tuesday, September 12, 2017.
However, details about the new devices had surfaced in August this year when Apple erroneously published some test code for its HomePod speakers. But while the August incident was an apparent gaffe, it has been claimed that the latest leak was an intentional act of sabotage.
BBC said it "has independently confirmed that an anonymous source provided the publications with links to iOS 11's golden master (GM) code that downloaded the software from Apple's own computer servers."
GM is a term commonly used by software firms to indicate that they believe a version of a product is ready for release.
John Grubber, a blogger known for his coverage of Apple says "more surprises were spilled by this leak than any leak in Apple history,"
This makes it the second time in three months the company has been deliberately caught off guard by a staff member. "In June, an hour-long recording of an internal meeting - ironically about stopping leakers - was passed onto the Outline news site.
It revealed that Apple had hired ex-workers from the US National Security Agency (NSA), FBI and Secret Service to help catch tattletales" reported BBC.
Several developers are still extracting the leak for more features but discoveries so far include:
- A reference to iPhone X, which acts as fresh evidence that Apple intends to unveil a high-end model alongside more modest updates to its handset line
- Images of a new Apple Watch and AirPod headphones
- A set-up process for Face ID - an alternative to the Touch ID system fingerprint system - that says it can be used to unlock handsets and make online purchases from Apple, among other uses
- The introduction of Animoji - animated emoji characters that mirror a user's captured facial expressions
Company watchers have posited that Tuesday launch has been stripped of its power to surprise due to the scale of the leak.
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