This ugly case disguises iPhone prototypes in the wild

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Apple is ultra-protective of prototype iPhones.
Apple is ultra-protective of prototype iPhones.
Photo: Sonny Dickson

It’s no secret that Apple loves to keep products secret, but thanks to a new leak we can now see the crazy lengths the company goes to just to keep prototype iPhones under wraps.

Notorious Apple leaker Sonny Dickson has put out some new images of an ugly iPhone case allegedly used by Apple to keep the iPhone 6s secret. From the outside it doesn’t look like much, but there are a bunch of tiny details that help Apple keep features from leaking.

The “stealth” case in the picture above is used for iPhone prototypes that travel from the supply chain in China to the USA. Apple’s case hides most of the the iPhone. Security tape is also added to the sides so Apple can detect if someone tried to open it.

Shutting down leaks

Along with hiding the prototypes in an ugly case, Apple is very detailed with all the testing procedures. Each prototype iPhones has an accompanying passport that shows what tests where run and by whom.

“Each component or product that is tested they document in the page,” Sonny Dickson told MacRumors. “The person writes their initials next to it and any notes about it passing or failing or any other comments. It makes its way through each test/person. It then is finally sent with its ‘passport’ from China to Apple.”

The back of each iPhone is also engraved with a small QR code allowing Apple to track it. Of course, all the extra security measures are worthless if some employee carelessly leaves a prototype iPhone at a bar.

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