New iPhones Leak Ahead of Launch
- Paul Thurrott
- Sep 11, 2017
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69
I don’t normally (ever?) write about Apple leaks, but this one is a potential blockbuster.
Thanks to a series of leaks, we’ve learned a lot more about the new generation of iPhones and other devices that Apple will announce tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12. Amusingly, the device leaks come from another leak, of the iOS 11 “GM” code (which is like RTM in the Windows world; it just means “the final version of the product ahead of general availability”). Basically, developers have been tearing into this code to see the devices that it references. And they’ve turned up a ton of information about the new iPhones and about a few other upcoming Apple releases.
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Here’s what we’ve learned.
Three new iPhones. As expected, Apple will announce three new iPhones tomorrow.
Not the names we expected. We’ve long referred to these phones as the iPhone 7S, iPhone 7S Plus, and iPhone 8. But different leaks suggest different names, like the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, the latter of which might be iPhone X Edition. (The “X” is obviously a reference to the iPhone’s 10th anniversary, which happened back in June.) The first two will retain the basic design of today’s iPhones, whereas the expensive new X will be completely new.
What makes the iPhone X special. Multiple sources confirm that the iPhone X will have a near-bezeless design with an 1125 × 2436 AMOLED display that supports the True Tone technology that debuted in the iPad Pro. It includes 12 MP (rear, dual) and 7 MP (front) cameras. It will require 3D facial unlocking because there’s no Home button (and Apple couldn’t figure out how to integrate that tech into the screen).
RAM. According to Steven Troughton-Smith, the iPhone 8 will have 2 GB of RAM, while the 8S and X will have 3 GB of RAM.
Wallpapers. 9to5Mac has leaked the wallpapers that Apple will include with iOS 11 (and thus with these new phones).
There are other related leaks, too.
Apple TV. Yes, Apple will announce a 4K-capable Apple TV, finally. Troughton-Smith says it will have a three-core A10X Fusion CPU and 3 GB of RAM and will play 4K video at 60 FPS.
Apple Watch. While it’s not clear how Apple will market this, a new Apple Watch with integrated LTE has been confirmed. It looks physically identical to the current Series 2 design but sports a red-accented digital crown.
AirPods. Apple will issue a minor revision to its curiously popular AirPods wireless headphones. Basically, the charging indicator light has been moved.
I suspect there will be further leaks today, but this all looks pretty solid.
Regarding tomorrow, I’m heading to New York City for a meeting in the morning and I’ll cover Apple’s event live on Twitter as usual. (I may miss the beginning, but that’s the plan.)
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Conversation 69 comments
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BrianEricFord
<blockquote><a href="#175340"><em>In reply to Mr. Smith:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>The potential blockbuster relates to the fact that a rogue employee leaked something like this to the press.</p><p><br></p><p>As to whether it's "boring" or not, not really expecting to find a lot of people on this site feeling otherwise.</p><p><br></p><p>Not sure why people expect any smartphone manufacturer to release something gasp-inducing this late in the product maturity cycle, though.</p>
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skane2600
<blockquote><a href="#175500"><em>In reply to TEAMSWITCHER:</em></a></blockquote><p>The hundreds of dollars that WP users have saved over the years by not buying an iPhone isn't the stuff of regret. If you can afford to be heavily invested in the expensive Apple ecosystem, good for you. </p>
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BrianEricFord
<blockquote><a href="#175343"><em>In reply to paul-thurrott:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Neither did fingerprint sensors until Apple released Touch ID.</p>
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skane2600
<p>IMO eliminating the home button just because they couldn't get it to work under glass is really lame. Sometimes the best conclusion to draw from the inability to implement a tech idea is to consider it flawed in the first place.</p>
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skane2600
<blockquote><a href="#175717"><em>In reply to James_Wilson:</em></a></blockquote><p>Well, a lot of bad ideas make it into products because the designers are so focused on preconceived notions that they don't reexamine their ideas.</p>
![https://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2017/08/iphone8dummymodeliphone7comparison-800×482.jpg"></p>](https://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2017/08/iphone8dummymodeliphone7comparison-800x482.jpg"></p>){kind=link}