2011: Biggest Apple Product Leaks

Last year at about this time, we highlighted the biggest Apple leaks of 2010. While there wasn't quite as big a story as the iPhone 4 leak this year, we still saw a lot of early leaks of unreleased products.

iPhone 4S

140357 iphone antenna comparison

When this parts leak video was released in January 2011, we weren't entirely sure what we were looking at. Global Direct Parts called it an "iPhone 5" at the time, and detailed differences found in the new antenna design. The changes were relatively small, but what we know now is that this was the first look at the iPhone 4S design -- 10 months before its release. The antenna design looks a lot like the Verizon iPhone which hadn't been released at the time, but the inclusion of the SIM slot means this particular design was definitely for the iPhone 4S.

iphone 4s a5

Over the year, we would continue to see bits of pieces of the iPhone 4S such as the front panel, A5-based logic board and even partially assembled. In the end, however, we kept getting distracted by the possibility of a completely new design. It was the similarities to the iPhone 4 design that kept the iPhone 4S so off the radar.

Ultimately, Apple itself accidentally leaked the iPhone 4S name in the last iTunes beta before the device launched:

iphone4s

iPad 2

212032 ipad 2 dummy 5 500

No, that isn't a photo of the iPad 2. That's a photo of a dummy model that was shown at CES about 2 months before the iPad 2's launch. The model was created based on leaked case designs to Chinese accessory manufacturers. It's also why the leaked iPhone 5 case designs seemed like such a good possibility at the time.

iPhone 4S Camera Test

iphone 5 test photo

A month before the iPhone 4S, an Apple employee accidentally posted this first photo from an unreleased iPhone device. As it turns out, that photo was taken by the iPhone 4S.

iCloud Screenshot

icloud login screenshot

We had serious doubts about this iCloud login screenshot that was leaked several days before WWDC. But, it turned out to be quite accurate, and seems to have come from Apple's internal staging area for the site. We wouldn't see iCloud actually go live until two months later with essentially the same login screen.

Apple Loses Another iPhone

cava22 sf 0445

In what almost became a replay of last year's iPhone 4 leak, an Apple employee lost another prototype iPhone in a bar this year. While there were some initial doubts about the story, the San Francisco Police did later confirm their participation in the search for the device. The lost iPhone was never found. We assume it represented a prototype iPhone 4S device which likely explains why it didn't ever draw enough attention to be leaked/sold to any gadget sites.

MacBook Pro, Thunderbolt

072702 6a00d83451c7b569e2014e8642d5f9970d

Yes, there are still some Mac related leaks too. The specs for the first Thunderbolt MacBook Pros were leaked about a couple of days ahead of the launch.

Siri


Again, this is not a video made about Siri after its launch. This was a video about Siri leaked before Apple said a word about it. The details are so close, it's hard to remember that some people doubted its accuracy.

Biggest Fake


As a bonus, here's the biggest fake rumor of the year. We knew it was a fake when we posted about it on our blog, but this video of an "iPhone 5 Leak" on Apple's website has amassed nearly 3 million views in YouTube since being posted. We suppose people wanted to believe.

Top Rated Comments

wordoflife Avatar
160 months ago
Nothing will ever beat the iPhone 4 leak :D;)
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lilsoccakid74 Avatar
160 months ago
I am still very surprised that we had zero rumors about the newest Mini's before launch!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deannnnn Avatar
160 months ago
Here's to a new year of leaks in 2012!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adcx64 Avatar
160 months ago
Nothing will ever beat the iPhone 4 leak :D;)

Hahahahahahahah yes! That was the best!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adcx64 Avatar
160 months ago
Interesting read, I was surprised that the 4S antenna band was leaked 10 months ahead!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hustler1337 Avatar
160 months ago
Ah, what a year. Here's to 2012 rumours, bring.it.on.




Looking back, the rumours this year were quite disappointing IMO, especially relating to the iPhone. I was, like many others, looking forward to the iPhone '5' I believed will be launched this year. The contradictory rumours about a release of an iPhone 4S/5 got me quite frustrated, yet excited. (feel sorry for those case manufacturers) We can probably blame Apple's stricter control of product leaks possibly because of the iPhone 4 leaks last year. Just hope 2012 has more leaks/rumours which seem to materialise.

Thank You MacRumors for your hard work in providing us with news and rumours we care about. ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...