Apple\u2019s most important new phone for years will be called the iPhone X, according to a leak of the company\u2019s latest mobile operating system on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Strings of software code inside of the leaked operating system, first detailed by Apple news website 9to5Mac, show the expected three new phones will be called the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.<\/p>\n
App and game developer Steven Troughton-Smith discovered the names in the software and tweeted about it on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are successors to the current iPhone models, while the iPhone X is the premium version with an all-new design, crisper OLED screen, improved cameras, and a 3-D facial recognition scanner for unlocking the device.<\/p>\n
The “X” in the iPhone\u2019s name may be a reference to this model being a special 10th anniversary edition.<\/p>\n
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will look similar to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, but include faster processors, Bloomberg News has reported.<\/p>\n
The new devices will be unveiled at an event on Tuesday. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.<\/p>\n
The leak comes not long after Apple accidentally published early HomePod speaker software that provided details on upcoming iPhone features.<\/p>\n
Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook has criticized news reports on upcoming iPhones this year, saying the articles dented sales of current models.<\/p>\n
Still, expectations are running high for a blockbuster holiday season: In a recent survey by RBC Capital Markets, almost two-thirds of respondents said they would buy a new iPhone model sight unseen.<\/p>\n
The leaked operating system corroborates earlier Bloomberg News reports that the premium X device will replace the usual Touch ID fingerprint scanner with a face unlock feature. Apple will call the enhancement Face ID, according to the code.<\/p>\n
The sensor will also be used for scanning a person\u2019s facial expression and converting that into animated emojis for messaging, the code shows.<\/p>\n
Bloomberg recently reported that the premium model will lack a home button and instead use a series of gestures for controlling the device.<\/p>\n
The leaked software also sheds more light on an upcoming version of the Apple Watch that has its own cellular connection (existing models have to be tethered to an iPhone).<\/p>\n
The code also includes a photo of the new Watch, with a red button on the side and dots in the middle of the screen to show cellular signal strength.<\/p>\n
The image and the leaked code indicate the device will be capable of making phone calls without an iPhone in range and that Apple will announce new colors, including a grey ceramic and a new gold tone.<\/p>\n