This year has seen more Apple iPhone rumors than ever before, and to accompany the leaks showing the possible iPhone 8/iPhone X design, specs, and features, a pair of videos apparently filmed inside the factory producing the phones have been published online. The release of the videos either highlights the difficulty Apple is having keeping its next phone a secret in 2017, or the extent to which Apple itself is orchestrating the leaks surrounding the device.
Neither video is very long, and at first glance, it’s difficult to pick out much detail. However, pay close attention to the production line video, and you’ll spot a device that matches many of the leaks we’ve already seen, with a very interesting omission. The 10-second video was filmed walking down a production line, where dozens of workers appear to polish the rear panel on a smartphone. A close up reveals the device has a vertically stacked dual-lens camera on the back, a distinct feature that has separated the iPhone X design leaks from other iPhone 7S/7S Plus models.
What’s interesting here is the lack of a cutout for a fingerprint sensor on the rear, a feature feared to be introduced on the iPhone 8 by iPhone fans, due to Apple possibly being unable to integrate a fingerprint sensor into the phone’s bezel-less screen. Its absence in the video isn’t absolute proof Apple will use either an on-screen sensor or facial recognition only; but it seems unlikely a team of workers would be cleaning a device destined to have more holes cut in it later on.
The second video shows even less detail, as the individual filming the factory passes racks of smartphone bodies, apparently waiting for further processing. Pausing the video at the start shows the device has the same vertically stacked camera lens arrangement, and lack of further cutouts, on the back. The Apple logo is absent throughout, so it’s not certain this is an iPhone. It’s also unclear which factory is being filmed; but any Apple executive watching will likely be able to quickly find out.
Whether strategic leaks by Apple in the face of hyped-up and popular bezel-less phones from Samsung, LG, and others, or the work of daring insiders; the iPhone 8/iPhone X is likely the most leaked iPhone we’ve ever seen.
