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| Why Apple hates leaks about its products |
Apple is known to be a secretive company, and a closing letter revealed the reason, saying the leak hurt accessory makers, consumers and the iPhone maker itself.
A disclosure letter from an Apple attorney in China to a Chinese citizen stated that an iPhone size leak could mislead the case maker and create accessories that are incompatible with the final product.
As the company said, this could lead to third-party accessory manufacturers designing and selling bags and accessories that aren't compatible with unmarked products.
Information indicates that the Apple accessories market is estimated to be worth about $20 billion worldwide.
Apple also said the leaked information could prevent the company from surprising consumers at the press conference. The letter stated: “We have made every effort to take strict measures to keep all information about our products confidential before the product is officially released. The confidentiality of our latest technological innovation is an important part of the company's personality.
As stated in the letter: Such situations are detrimental to the interests of consumers and Apple. So it is clear that keeping unpublished information about the design and performance of Apple products confidential has real commercial value.
Apple fights leaks
The message was sent during an event that appeared to be about selling prototypes of the company's unadvertised products on social media.
Factory workers reportedly stole the equipment and sold it to anyone who could benefit from it. This usually results in early release of product information before official publication.
The news was released on June 18. It is not known how many people received similar information. But this date coincides with a man named Mr. White.
Also in June, a leaker named Kang announced via Weibo that he had received a notification from the company. He said he is no longer providing any information about upcoming devices.
In addition to what Apple explained in the letter, there are a number of reasons the company is reluctant to reveal its secret plans.
Revealing confidential product information could allow competitors to start developing counterfeit devices as soon as possible. Knowing that the probability of buying the current model decreases with the next equipment upgrade, the so-called Osborne effect.