October 1, 2011: Just days before Apple plans to unveil the iPhone 4s, the device’s name leaks after the latest iTunes beta inadvertently spills the beans.
The code also reveals that Apple’s new handset will come in black and white color options.
iPhone 4s name leaks, but that doesn’t hurt sales
Apple built its reputation by unveiling products with a carefully choreographed “one more thing” presentation. Having the iPhone 4s name accidentally spill out of Apple’s own software was a particularly embarrassing way to spoil the surprise.
But while the leak eliminated some of the mystery, it didn’t come close to killing the excitement about a very special device.
The iPhone 4s was the last iPhone released while Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs was alive. The second iPhone “S” model (the first was 2009’s iPhone 3GS), it cemented Apple’s strategy of releasing major, full-number iPhone refreshes every two years. Intervening years brought marginal “S” upgrades focused on improved internals.
With that said, the iPhone 4s was a great handset. The last iPhone that Jobs worked on directly, its feature set included a speedier A5 chip, an improved 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording, and — most significantly — Apple’s new AI virtual assistant, Siri.
Oopsy-daisy …
Photo: 9to5Mac
Apple’s accidental leak of the iPhone 4s name in the iTunes beta code certainly embarrassed Cupertino. However, it was nothing compared to the previous year, when an Apple employee left an iPhone 4 prototype in a Silicon Valley bar.
Tech publication Gizmodo bought that device, then promptly tore it down and published its findings. The incident — and the heavy-handed response to it — remains one of the most massive and controversial leaks in Apple history. (Police raided the home of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen, seizing his computers, as part of their investigation.)
Cult of Mac called Gizmodo’s ethically challenged purchase of the iPhone 4 prototype the “biggest tech scoop in history” at the time.
iPhone 4s name leak doesn’t dampen demand for device
Unsurprisingly, the leak of the iPhone 4s’ name and color options did nothing to hurt the device’s popularity. The first iPhone with Siri arrived at a time when the world was starting to go iPhone crazy. For the first time in Apple history, this iPhone debuted as its predecessor’s sales continued to build. Things only increased as a result of Jobs’ untimely death at the age of 56, just a couple of days before the iPhone 4s went on sale.
In recent years, Apple has intensified its war on leaks, threatening legal action and criminal charges against employees who divulge the company’s secrets. However, details about upcoming Apple products — like the long-rumored smart home hub supposedly coming later this month — routinely leak in beta code.
Do you remember the iPhone 4s name leak and the device itself? Leave your comments, recollections and your pick for all-time favorite iPhone below.
