Is Apple really Apple without leaks and rumors?

Macworld’s biggest story last week was a blockbuster exclusive, broken by Filipe Esposito, which leaked the full range of iPhone 17 colors based on an internal document and the testimony of independent sources. This was a proper scoop, and rather exciting… and then later in the week, news broke that Apple had decided to sue the YouTube personality Jon Prosser after he leaked secrets about iOS 26.

The timing was mildly alarming, but we had no cause for serious worry. Apple’s lawsuit concerns not so much the fact that Prosser leaked information about iOS 26, but rather how he obtained that information: allegedly by paying an accomplice to steal and unlock an Apple employee’s “development iPhone” running the pre-release software. By contrast, and needless to say, Filipe’s methods are wholly and scrupulously above board. Macworld would never publish anything that doesn’t meet our legal and ethical standards.

The lawsuit was yet another reminder, if one were needed, that Apple hates to see its secrets broadcast across the world’s tech websites. A few years back Tim Cook sent out an internal memo complaining about the number of internal memos that were being leaked and clearly articulating his views on the subject. (The universe having an excellent sense of humor, that memo was itself leaked.) “People who leak confidential information do not belong here,” he said.

Nevertheless, it’s unusual for Apple to unleash its full force on a leaker as it has done with Prosser. The last time I can think of was the Gizmodo affair of 2010, when an Apple engineer left a prototype iPhone 4 in a bar, someone found it, and the blog purchased it for $5,000. Gizmodo offered to return the device, but not before writing extensively about it, doing a teardown, and even, allegedly, trying to extort favors and preferential treatment in return. The draconian upshot was that one of Gizmodo’s editors ended up having his home raided and his computers confiscated.

Before that, there was Think Secret, a Mac rumors site that displeased Apple by writing often-accurate articles about unreleased products. This site, too, was sued, once again over trade secrets, reached a settlement, and a short while later shut down. Not an auspicious parallel for Prosser’s Front Page Tech.

The link between these cases of public, no-holds-barred enforcement is that the leaker crossed a line in some way; they went, in the view of Apple or its lawyers, too far. Up to that line Apple applies more subtle means of persuasion. It hints, and cajoles; it sends disappointed-sounding emails, and threatening letters with the names of prestigious law firms at the top. It extends and withdraws favor. The company has a lot of soft power. So much, indeed, that you almost forget how much hard power it has until someone goes too far.

The odd thing is that leaks have always been a part of the Apple story. Gizmodo, Think Secret, Spymac, Crazy Apple Rumors Site… the rumormongers, whether serious or satirical, come and go; sometimes they fly too close to the sun, sometimes they close for other reasons, but they have always been there in some form or another. And they are still there now, as the more resilient sites persist and others take the place of the fallen: MacRumors, 9to5Mac, AppleInsider, Macworld… even larger publications such as Bloomberg.

Whether it tries subtle secrecy or heavy-handed legal means, Apple has proven entirely incapable of stopping the leaks. If anything, they’re worse than ever, with Mark Gurman and others leaking everything about whatever’s coming next. Partly this is because a company of that size, a supply chain of that complexity, cannot ever be completely insulated. And partly it’s simply because the appetite is there, and someone will always find a way.

The appetite is there because Apple products are exciting, and people want to read about them even months and years before they arrive. Which is a good thing, one would have thought. Do leaks occur because of the appetite, or is that appetite the result of leaks? I think the latter is at least partly true. The ecosystem of hype and speculation surrounding every Apple launch inevitably generates more buzz and more interest. It feeds on itself. And while the company understandably doesn’t want the iPhone 17 to be completely revealed before launch day, it would, I think, be sorry to lose the worldwide interest that starts to build long in advance.

None of which is to say that Apple is wrong to sue Jon Prosser, or to protect its trade secrets. I just think that Apple needs to be careful it doesn’t crack down too hard on the leakers. Because if it somehow found a way to get rid of them, it might find that it misses them.

Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too.

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Podcast of the week

2026 is shaping up to be a very big year for Apple. In episode 942 of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about the new products Apple could release next year, including an unexpected change for the Mac.

You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site.

Reviews corner

The rumor mill

iPhone 17 colors confirmed! See all of Apple’s 2025 options right here.

The iPhone 17 Air will apparently have a titanium frame, which makes no sense.

Report: Apple’s folding iPhone won’t have a crease thanks to laser-drilled plates.

iPhone 17 Pro may actually get that scratch-resistant, anti-reflective display.

Video of the week

A papaya-colored iPhone? All the iPhone 17’s color options are revealed in our latest short. Catch all our short-form video on TikTok.