This post has been updated to include the latest info from the massive iOS 11 golden master leak.
Apple looks leakier than the White House these days. The latest unauthorized dump of info about upcoming Apple products comes in the form of a leaked golden master version of iOS 11.
Obtained late Friday by tech publications, the prematurely released final version of Apple’s mobile operating system reveals details about everything from the upcoming iPhones’ model names to dazzling new iOS wallpapers and details about the next Apple Watch.
Spoiler alert: If you want any surprises at all during next Tuesday’s Apple event, stop reading now.
iOS 11 golden master leak
The iOS 11 GM leak adds to info ferreted out of a leaked HomePod software last month and the usual whirlwind of rumors leading up to an iPhone release. We already “knew” a fair amount about Apple’s plans for new hardware, but now there’s even more detailed information ahead of Apple’s September 12 event.
The leak allegedly came from a “rogue Apple employee” rather than the usual shadowy supply-chain sources.
Here’s everything new we know at this point. (We’ll update this post as we discover more.)
New iPhone names: iPhone X and iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus
Instead of a premium, totally redesigned iPhone 8 and familiar-looking iPhone 7s and 7s Plus, it looks like we’ll be getting an iPhone X and an iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
That naming convention doesn’t come as a total surprise: The high-end flagship with an OLED screen and a bunch of other new features will mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone.
“We now have the name of all three new iPhones,” wrote developer Steven Troughton-Smith in a series of tweets. “Are you ready for this?”
Troughton-Smith, who’s proven adept at finding details about new Apple products in leaked software, found the names iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X in the leaked iOS 11 golden master.
“Maaaybe the DeviceTree is lying about the marketing name, maybe not,” he said. “But right now, D22 thinks it is iPhone X, so that’s good enough for me.”
2017 iPhone RAM and camera details
Troughton-Smith also dug up info about RAM and camera specs for the 2017 iPhones. iPhone 8 will pack 2GB of RAM, he said, while the iPhone 8 Plus and high-end iPhone X will both come with 3 GB.
The new iPhone X will also feature a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera with 4K video support at 60 fps and 180p video at 240 fps. The front FaceTime camera will reportedly be a 7-megapixel shooter with 1080p video at 30 fps.
Six-core A11 processor
Photo: Slashleaks
Apple’s going to need a lot more horsepower to deal with all the new 3D scanning and augmented reality features on the iPhone X. The iOS 11 GM reveals Apple’s new A11 processor will pack six cores. It will come with four low-power high-efficiency Mistral cores — double the number found in A10 processor — and two two high-power Monsoon cores. Each core will be independently addressable, giving apps access to more power than ever before.
New iOS 11 wallpapers
9to5Mac found 16 new iOS 11 wallpapers in the leaked software. The imagery includes flowers, swirly colors, space shots of Earth and the moon, and some retrotastic rainbow themes.
You can download the new iOS 11 wallpapers for iPhone (.zip) and iPad (.zip).
Portrait Lighting Mode
“Portrait Lighting, which we believe will launch in beta similar to Portrait mode last year, supports Contour Light, Natural Light, Stage Light, Stage Light Mono, and Studio Light,” wrote 9to5Mac, which got its hands on the iOS 11 GM. “It’s possible this Portrait mode enhancement could be related to the flash when shooting. Also present is new video recording resolution and capture speeds.”
iPhone X side button will take over for Home button
Since the OLED screen on the iPhone X will occupy nearly the entire face of the device, there’s no room for a physical Home button as on previous models. We’ve suspected that for a while, but the iOS 11 GM leak reveals that the side button on the iPhone X — identified by the name “D22” in the code — will assume new functions.
“Looks like D22 will have a ‘fake’ side button, like the home button on the iPhone 7,” tweeted developer Guilherme Rambo, who also has been digging into the leaked Apple code.
The side button could be used to invoke Siri, he wrote, just as the Home button currently does.
Face ID facial recognition is the new Touch ID
Face ID enrollment process (with layout issues on first page) pic.twitter.com/KczOHEy9ir
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) September 9, 2017
The long-rumored facial-recognition technology that supposedly will unlock the high-end iPhone X goes by the name “Face ID.”
A cute animated GIF found in the code apparently shows how users will set up Face ID on their devices.
Can't stop watching this Face ID setup animation from the leaked iOS 11 GM build. So cute! pic.twitter.com/SMvjFo7Was
— Mike Rundle (@flyosity) September 9, 2017
Animojis bring iMessages emojis to life
New animated emojis called “Animojis” will apparently take cutesy iMessages to a whole new level. They reportedly take users’ facial expressions and voice to make the emojis more expressive.
Oh man. Is the world ready for new 3D emoji in iOS 11's iMessage? (via @9to5mac) pic.twitter.com/vBpoeuOFlX
— Cabel (@cabel) September 9, 2017
Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE
So far, this doesn’t seem absolutely rock-solid. But an image in the iOS 11 GM leak seems to confirm that we’ll soon see an upgraded Apple Watch with LTE capability.
iOS 11 GM leak seemingly leaks LTE Apple Watch with new face and Digital Crown https://t.co/50EMeRAanz by @JeffBenjam pic.twitter.com/MSODTgZam2
— 9to5Mac (@9to5mac) September 9, 2017
Apple TV 4K will play Ultra HD video
iOS 11 GM code confirms that “Apple TV 4K” will be the official name for the new, insanely powerful set-top box capable of displaying Ultra HD video, according to Troughton-Smith. It will be powered by the same A10X Fusion chipset found in iPad Pro, plus 3GB of RAM. This will allow for a smoother and snappier experience when navigating tvOS and playing the latest games.
AirPods get a minor update
Here’s Your First Look at the New Version of Apple’s AirPods https://t.co/cPUpfAJRoj by @mbrsrd pic.twitter.com/p39NsZuEC0
— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) September 9, 2017
Troughton-Smith dug up a render of upgraded AirPods in the final iOS 11 code. The only real difference appears to be that the charging indicator light used by current models has been moved to the outside of the AirPods carrying case.
A reference to “AirPods 1,2” might indicate the upgraded wireless earbuds, according to MacRumors, which also received a copy of the iOS 11 GM. It’s unknown what other upgrades might be in store for AirPods 2.0.
…in full, animated glory pic.twitter.com/dbU6WaU1B4
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) September 9, 2017
Killian Bell and Luke Dormehl contributed to this post.
