Last-Minute iPad Photo Leak Reportedly Included Image of Prototype Next-Generation iPhone
Just prior to Apple's media event introducing the iPad last week, Engadget posted several photos of what did turn out to be the iPad, bolted down to a table and covered with a black cloth as Apple has been rumored to do with tightly-guarded pre-release products. One of the images shows an iPhone sitting on top of the iPad, offering a size comparison between the two devices.
AppleInsider reports today that it has received information from a source claiming that the iPhone shown in the photo is in fact an unreleased prototype of Apple's next-generation iPhone model.
People with an impeccable track record in matters such as these say the iPhone in below photo, published by gadget blog Engadget in the hours leading up to Apple's iPad announcement last Wednesday, is a prototype of one of the handsets due to hit the market in roughly five months.
Unfortunately, the quality of the photo leaves much to be desired, and few details on the purported prototype can be determined beyond a very similar likeness to the current iPhone 3G and 3GS casings. The report offers, however, a couple of possible visual difference between the pictured iPhone and current models.
Most obviously, the photographed iPhone appears to lack the iPhone's traditional aluminum bezel around its front edge, instead appearing to reveal an all-black bezel, although it appears possible that the iPhone is covered by some sort of skin or cover or even that reflections could make the aluminum bezel appear black in this image.
Second, a "whitish blotch" appears to the left of the iPhone's earpiece in the image, although it is again unclear whether this is an actual feature of the next-generation iPhone or merely a reflection shown in the iPhone's glass surface. Speculation regarding a hardware feature in that location obviously centers on the possibility of a forward-facing camera.
Evidence of the next-generation iPhone hardware being tested surfaced in late November.
Popular Stories
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Apple plans to launch a rebranded "Sales Coach" app on the iPhone and iPad later this month, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"Sales Coach" will arrive as an update to Apple's existing "SEED" app, and it will continue to provide sales tips and training resources to Apple Store and Apple Authorized Reseller employees around the world. For example, there are articles and videos...
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works.
We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Juli CloverApple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, ...
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor.
Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
