Is Apple really Apple without leaks and rumors?

The biggest story of Macworld last week was a successful exclusivity, broken by Filipe Esposito, which disclosed the full range of the colors of the iPhone 17 according to an internal document and the testimony of independent sources. It was a good scoop, and rather exciting … and later in the week, the news announced that Apple had decided to continue the personality of Youtube Jon Prosser after having disclosed secrets on iOS 26.

The timing was slightly alarming, but we had no cause of serious concern. Apple’s trial does not concern so much the fact that Prosser has disclosed information on iOS 26, but rather how it obtained this information: allegedly by paying an accomplice to fly and unlock “the iPhone of development” of an Apple employee performing the pre-liberation software. On the other hand, and it goes without saying that the filipe methods are entirely and scrupulously above the board. Macworld would never publish anything that does not meet our legal and ethical standards.

The trial was another reminder, if you were necessary, that Apple hates seeing its secrets broadcast on the technological websites of the world. A few years ago, Tim Cook sent an internal memo complaining about the number of internal memos which were clearly disclosed and clearly articulating his opinions on the subject. (The universe having an excellent sense of humor, this note has itself disclosed.) “People who disclose confidential information do not belong here,” he said.

Nevertheless, it is unusual for Apple to release all its strength on a leak as it did with Prosser. The last time I can think was the 2010 Gizmodo affair, when an Apple engineer left an iPhone 4 prototype in a bar, someone found it and the blog bought it for $ 5,000. Gizmodo proposed to return the device, but not before writing in depth on this subject, to disassemble, and even, to try to extort favors and a preferential treatment in return. The draconian result was that one of Gizmodo’s publishers ended up going downhill and his computers confiscated.

Before that, there was Think Secret, a Mac rumors site that displeases Apple by writing often precise articles on unpublished products. This site was also continued, once again on commercial secrets, reached a regulation, and a short time later closed. Not a good auspicious parallel for the technology of the first page of Prosser.

The link between these cases of the public application, without restraint, is that the flight has crossed a line in one way or another; They went, to the opinion of Apple or its lawyers, too far. Until this line, Apple applies more subtle means of persuasion. He alludes and Cajoles; He sends disappointed emails and threatening letters with the names of prestigious law firms at the top. He extends and withdraws from favor. The company has a lot of soft energy. So many things, in fact, that you almost forget the hard power that she has until someone goes too far.

What is strange is that leaks have always been part of Apple’s story. GizModo, Think Secret, Spymac, Crazy Apple Rumors Site … The Rumormongers, whether serious or satirical, come and go; Sometimes they fly too close to the sun, sometimes they close for other reasons, but they have always been there in one form or another. And they are still there now, because the most resilient sites persist and others replace the dead: MacRumors, 9To5mac, Appleinsider, Macworld … even larger publications such as Bloomberg.

Whether he tries a subtle secret or heavy legal means, Apple turned out to be entirely unable to stop the leaks. If anything, they are worse than ever, with Mark Gurman and others who flee everything that will follow. Partly because a company of this size, a chain of supply of this complexity, can never be completely isolated. And in part, it is simply because the appetite is there, and someone will always find a means.

The appetite is there because Apple products are exciting, and people want to read them even months and years before their arrival. Which is a good thing, we would have thought. Do leaks occur because of appetite, or is the appetite the result of leaks? I think the latter is at least partly true. The threshing media and speculation ecosystem surrounding each launch of apple inevitably generates more buzz and more interest. He feeds on himself. And although the company naturally does not want the iPhone 17 to be completely revealed before the day of the launch, I think, I think, sorry to lose the world interest which is starting to develop long in advance.

Nothing between this means that Apple is wrong to continue Jon Prosser, or to protect its commercial secrets. I just think that Apple must be careful, it does not retract Also hard on leaks. Because if it found a way to get rid of it, it could see that they are missing.

Foundry

Welcome to our weekly chronicle Apple Breakfast, which includes all the Apple news that you missed last week in an overview the size of a bite. We call it apple breakfast because we think it goes very well with a cup of coffee or Monday morning tea, but it’s cool if you also want to read during lunch or dinner hours.

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2026 promises to be a very great year for Apple. In episode 942 of the Macworld Podcast, we are talking about new products that Apple could publish next year, including an unexpected change for the Mac.

You can catch each episode of the Macworld Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud, the Podcasts application or our own site.

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