A leaked version of iOS 11 appears to confirm many of the rumoured features of the next iPhone, which will seemingly be known as the ‘iPhone X’, including facial recognition and gesture controls.
As with every major Apple event, speculation about what the company will announce on Tuesday 12 September had been rampant, even about the name.
The suggestion had been that Apple would call the eighth generation iPhone the ‘iPhone X’, to mark the tenth anniversary of the original iPhone, and to signify a major upgrade.
The iPhone X is expected to be one of the biggest updates to the device since it first arrived in 2007 as Apple seeks to reestablish itself as the mobile industry’s great innovator and encourage as many people as possible to upgrade.
According to 9to5mac, a leaked ‘golden master’ version of the upcoming iOS 11 operating system details ‘Face ID’, which allows users to unlock their device or make payments simply by scanning their face. It is a counterpart fo ‘Touch ID’, which does the same with a fingerprint scanner.
The iPhone X will reportedly have an edge-to-edge OLED display, ditching the home button in favour of gesture controls, and will come with ‘Animoji – animated emojis that reflect the owner’s facial movements.
Intriguingly, it also seems that two other devices, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, will also be unveiled. These will be more iteratative updates to the iPhone 7 with more powerful processors, glass casing and wireless charging.
The leak also confirms the widely-expected appearance of an LTE-enabled Apple Watch, a new version of the AirPod wireless earbuds, and a 4K edition of the Apple TV. The next versions of iOS (11), WatchOS (4), and MacOS (HIgh Sierra) could also be made generally available on the same date, as has been tradition.
Both updates were shown off at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.
It is unclear who disclosed the information, but some observers believe it was deliberate. Apple famously does everything it can to safeguard its secrets, despite a number of leaks in recent years.
“As best I’ve been able to ascertain, these builds were available to download by anyone, but they were obscured by long, unguessable URLs,” said Daring Fireball’s John Gruber. “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. Whoever did this is the least popular person in Cupertino. More surprises were spoiled by this leak than any leak in Apple history.”
Silicon has contacted Apple for comment
In any case, the launch will be a sentimental one for the company. Not only does this year mark the tenth anniversary of the first iPhone – which changed the technology industry as we know it – but it will also be the first Apple event at the Steve Jobs Theater at the new Apple HQ in Cupertino.
As ever, Silicon will be keeping our eyes on all the happenings from Silicon Valley.
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