'iPhone X' confirmed in alleged leak
Details of Apple's 10th anniversary iPhone have been leaked ahead of Apple's launch event on Tuesday.
The name of the new phone, confirmed in the leaks as being "iPhone X", was reported by two news sites that were given access to an alleged unreleased version of the iOS operating system.
The leak was also said to refer to an iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus as the two LCD devices in addition to the 10th anniversary OLED iPhone X -- previously thought to be called the iPhone7s, iPhone 7s Plus, and iPhone 8, respectively.
The BBC claims to have confirmed that an anonymous source was behind the leak to Apple-based publications 9to5Mac and MacRumors.
"An anonymous source provided the publications with links to iOS 11's gold master (GM) code that downloaded the software from Apple's own computer servers," the BBC reported.
"Someone within Apple leaked the list of URLs to 9to5Mac and MacRumors. I'm nearly certain this wasn't a mistake, but rather a deliberate malicious act by a rogue Apple employee," blogger John Gruber said.
"More surprises were spoiled by this leak than any leak in Apple history," he added.
Other discoveries in the leak include images of a new Apple Watch and AirPod headphones, a set-up process for Face ID, and the introduction of Animoji -- animated emoji characters that reflect the user's facial expressions.
The so-called iPhone X is expected to feature a higher-resolution OLED display, improved touchscreen technology, and wireless charging. The OLED display looks to be the single most expensive component in the new flagship, reportedly pushing the retail price of the handset to $1,000.
Apple will remove the Touch ID and Home button for the new phone in favour of new gesture controls, according to Bloomberg. The Touch ID sensor may instead be embedded into the display, it said.
Bloomberg added that design changes present in the new iPhone would mean users would have to relearn how to interact with the iPhone.
"With a crisper screen that takes up nearly the entire front, Apple has tested the complete removal of the home button -- even a digital one -- in favor of new gesture controls for tasks like going to the main app grid and opening multitasking."
According to OnLeaks, the back features twin cameras in a vertical orientation for better depth sensing for AR; facial recognition and iris scanning; IP68 water resistance; an 18.5:9 aspect ratio display, similar to that found on the Samsung Galaxy S8; and rear glass panel to support wireless charging.
The placement of the physical buttons such as the mute switch, the volume controls, and power button are similar to that of the iPhone 7, said OnLeaks.
A report from The Wall Street Journallast week said that unspecified production glitches pushed back the manufacturing process of Apple's new flagship by about a month. The report added that should shortfalls last beyond the initial sales period, analysts could lower estimates for the holiday period.
Apple is banking on a strong launch for the iPhone X and expects a solid fourth quarter on the back of strong sales, including revenue of between $49 billion and $52 billion.
Apple will livestream the unveiling event on September 12 from 1pm EST. Also expected to be revealed is an updated Apple TV.
ZDNet will have full coverage of the announcements on the day.
With AAP
http://www.zdnet.com/article/iphone-x-confirmed-in-alleged-leak/