iPhone 5: Apple’s worst-kept secret as supply chain leaks like a sieve

“One week before the Sept. 12 special event at which Apple is expected to unveil the next iPhone, there is almost nothing about the new device that hasn’t already been widely — and brazenly — published,” Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune.

iMore‘s Rene Ritchie, whose iPhone leaks were better and more detailed than anybody else’s this product cycle, published an iPhone 5 round-up Wednesday that included links to specs, photos and even a video,” P.E.D. reports. “Has Apple given up trying to control the leaks? It certainly seems that way.”

P.E.D. reports,” Steve Jobs, who staged product launches like Broadway shows, hated leaks and the bloggers who profited from them. Tim Cook, despite a promise to ‘double down’ on secrecy, seems content to let them ride. Reader Jim Neal suggests that the new CEO may have decided that allowing the tech press to build up expectations in advance of a product announcement is a good marketing strategy — even if it gives competitors a target to aim for. Or, Neal suggests, Cook may be even better at misdirection that his predecessor was.”

Read more in the full article here.

Related article:
It’s official: Apple invites media to iPhone 5 special event on September 12 – September 4, 2012

23 Comments

    1. Steve was an extraordinary salesman as confirmed by Apple employee #12 hence no doubt he would have fed the street with something that was 100% off base.

      Heck, who knows maybe that is what we are in for? The new iPhone could be 4.5″, NFC, etc…

  1. Things don’t seem so different to previous iPhone releases – or indeed, to other Apple launches.

    Sure, there’s of smoke, mirrors, ifs, buts, maybes, bits n pieces, Photoshoppery.

    But so far, it all amounts to less than a hill of beans – and that’s pretty much par for the course!

  2. WRONG!!’. How little people learn from the past. Remember the iPhone 4s/5 rumors, supplies and pics??? They were all dead wrong! I think we’ll see a different iPhone from what has been seen so far. Features may be spot on, but those are intelligent guesses based on evolution to keep up with other manufacturers. Apple still holds the cards, oh ye of little faith. ; D

  3. I think this is a double edged sword, on one side yes it is good to build hype and use that as a marketing tool, but on the other Side, what if The product (iPhone 5) is not as good as people were excpecting or hoping? What if our dreams makes us expect irrational things? In this case that would be a major let down for most of the people.

      1. Ahhhh, the innovation
        is all under the hood, my fellow babies!!!
        Don’t destroy an iPhone by making it a 4.5″ fatty.
        Make it even sexier, model-like, taller and slimmer.
        Ohhhh yeah… lick it up Tim.

    1. In what way is this interesting Thelonious?
      I will tell you, Apple is going with the “flow” now.
      Real innovation there Apple. Make it taller. Ewww wow.
      All other manufacturers have a bigger taller phone.
      iPhone4s looks out dated. And so does the iPhone 5 already.
      Yeah, its nice looking but its far too tiny still.

  4. Maybe what we’ve seen will replace the 4S, but there will be an entirely new device that is the iPhone 5. Whilst they’ll still have to support old devices, maybe they don’t want to be selling multiple screen resolutions of new devices. It’s the sort of sweeping thing Apple could do.

  5. Perhaps it’s human nature or gossip, but for every leak of future new Apple products is yet another slap in the face to Apple Inc. and disrespect to their privacy policies. People know bloody well Apple does not reveal anything until it’s ready. And yet, suppliers and people in the know, especially those who are supposed to be bound by an Apple Non-Disclosure Agreement, blatantly disregard this agreement and tell others anyway. Where is our respect? Be patient people. And, don’t speculate your way into unrealistic expectations and wish lists, only setting yourself up for disappointment because Apple doesn’t reveal what you expect in future (remember the iPhone 5 expectation a year ago?).

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