• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechChange the World

Why Insiders Think an Apple Employee Might Be Behind iPhone 8 Leaks

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 11, 2017, 9:53 AM ET

Apple has long taken steps to reduce leaks from inside its headquarters, but one longtime Apple watcher thinks the company’s efforts might have failed with its latest iPhone.

In a post over the weekend, John Gruber said a leak over the weekend of information about Apple’s next iPhones, Apple Watch, and more could only have been done by a company employee with knowledge of where to find files and how to get them into the hands of reporters who would take them public.

“I’m nearly certain this wasn’t a mistake, but rather a deliberate malicious act by a rogue Apple employee,” Gruber said of the leaks.

Over the weekend, “gold master,” or final, builds of Apple’s iOS 11 mobile operating system hit the Web with a staggering array of details about Apple’s upcoming product launches. The leaks suggested that Apple will call its new smartphones this year the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. The highest-end model, the iPhone X, will come with a facial scanner called Face ID, the leaks suggested.

Gruber said in his post that the leaks ruined “more surprises…than any leak in Apple history.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

But there is a chance—albeit a small one—that someone outside of Apple (AAPL) could have discovered the software.

According to Gruber, the gold masters were actually public, but hidden behind “long, unguessable URLs.” It’s possible, then, that someone snooping around for Apple’s latest software could have stumbled upon it and promptly leaked it online.

However, Gruber, who has been one of the longest-running and most reliable Apple watchers with sources inside the company, said only an Apple employee would know those URLs. And for an unknown reason, that person decided to leak information.

Apple (AAPL) is notoriously secretive and the lengths at which it has gone to not allow product details to leak are legendary. There are reports of secret rooms inside Apple, a need-to-know philosophy on new products, and even attempts by Apple employees to throw even their colleagues off the scent. And although leaks have been increasingly common, Apple has largely kept the big announcements under wraps.

To be sure, it’s impossible to know for sure if the weekend leaks are accurate, even if industry watchers believe they’re legitimate. But there won’t be much time to ponder their accuracy: Apple is expected to make its new product announcements at a press event the company is hosting on Tuesday at its Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Tech

AsiaSingapore
Singapore-based startup founder Anand Roy thinks generative AI can help fix a broken music sector
By Angelica AngJanuary 8, 2026
7 hours ago
Brown
CybersecuritySocial Media
Mass shootings on campus give rise to a new kind of life-saving service journalism: an anonymous message board called Sidechat
By Leah Willingham and The Associated PressJanuary 8, 2026
10 hours ago
PoliticsDefense
Founder of $30 billion defense tech company Anduril embraces Trump’s threat to crack down: It’s ‘good to scare people sometimes’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 8, 2026
13 hours ago
Jassy
Workplace CultureAmazon
Amazon demands proof of productivity from employees, asking for list of accomplishments
By Jake AngeloJanuary 8, 2026
15 hours ago
kappos
CommentaryEconomics
The Nobel Prize winners have a lesson for us all
By David J. KapposJanuary 8, 2026
16 hours ago
Dario Amodei sits in a white chair in front of a pink background and speaks animatedly.
AIEye on AI
AI is boosting productivity. Here’s why some workers feel a sense of loss
By Sharon GoldmanJanuary 8, 2026
16 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Law
Amazon is cutting checks to millions of customers as part of a $2.5 billion FTC settlement. Here's who qualifies and how to get paid
By Sydney LakeJanuary 6, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
AI layoffs are looking more and more like corporate fiction that's masking a darker reality, Oxford Economics suggests
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 7, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
By Emma BurleighJanuary 8, 2026
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Workplace Culture
Amazon demands proof of productivity from employees, asking for list of accomplishments
By Jake AngeloJanuary 8, 2026
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Google billionaire Larry Page copies the Jeff Bezos playbook, buying a $173 million Miami compound that will save him millions in taxes
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 8, 2026
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloJanuary 6, 2026
3 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.