Apple has slipped up and accidentally released details of new upgrades for the new iPhone in code for developers designing products for the forthcoming HomePod.
HomePod is Apple’s version of Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home – the artificial intelligence systems that can stream music, browse the web and control appliances in a smart home.
The technology giant has sent developers details of the HomePod firmware to help write software to link their products to the device.
Buried in the code was information about how the new iPhone will link to the HomePod.
Face recognition and new design
Buyers of the new phone can expect to see some major upgrades – including:
- Unlocking the phone with face recognition instead of fingerprints or passcodes called Pearl ID
- A new iPhone front that is a screen without a bezel
- The firmware also has large chunks of the next iOS 11 update which is not scheduled for release until later in 2017
Developers found the iPhone specs inside the code which references a device called D22.
This appears to be links to the HomePod for the new iPhone – which might be called iPhone 8, iPhone 10 or iPhone X.
Apple has made no comment about the details in the code and has declined to confirm or deny if the giveaway was an error.
The company is expected to reveal information about the new iPhone in September.
End of the line for iPod?
The new phone front will have no buttons and the only break in the screen is at the top for a forward-facing camera and microphone. All the buttons will be displayed on-screen.
Leaked design and technical specifications are regularly leaked about Apple products, which may be an unconfirmed marketing policy. The company always to decline to confirm any rumours about upcoming products.
Meanwhile, a separate announcement from the company has declared the iPod Nano and Shuffle are no longer supported products, leaving just the Touch carrying the iPod flag.
Neither discontinued iPod could access Apple Music and have not been updated since 2014.
Apple says the players have been overtaken by smart phone technology that allows streaming music rather than access to stored files.