2010 was a very different year for technology. On April 19th, Gizmodo published an article about a fully functional iPhone 4, more than 2 months before its official unveiling. They wrote a scathing article siting the phones new industrial design, screen resolution, and unreleased A4 processor. The strangest part of the story was how it was found; left on a bar stool disguised as an iPhone 3GS. Apple had a history for tight security around unreleased hardware, even being refered to as "secret police". That security fell after an iPhone engineer left the phone at a bar. The phone, a few weeks and $5,000 dollars in cash later, Gizmodo had their hands on the phone. Jason Chen, writer of the article, proceeded to take apart the faux case and unveil the new iPhone 4. Not only did this article deflate Apple’s upcoming event, but it also deflated future phone and device announcements.
Gizmodo’s leak started a new era in tech where leaks are now almost expected. More and more people wait for cellphone pictures from oversea factories or unreleased press pictures rather than the official events. I feel as if the magic of new gadget unveilings is gone. I remember coming home from school and immediately running to my laptop to catch the beginning of WWDC. Now I can just search online weeks before a keynote and expect a clear photo of the new device. I personally don't mind leaks now: it saves me the anticipation of waiting for my favorite devices to come out. Although sometimes I try to stay away from leaks and want to be surprised by the final product but my impatience always gets the better of me. It does draw to light how low security is around unreleased hardware today compared to Apple's "secret police" in the past.
Even though leaks were present in the past, the Gizmodo leaked started a wildfire of new leaks. As technology advanced and smartphones became exponentially better, so did the leaks as a result. Phone cameras are now surpassing pocket cameras and even rival DSLR cameras. Even as I type this, new rumored new Nexus 5X and 6P are leaking, as fellow Stevens student Marques Brownlee puts it:
2015 Nexus leaks http://t.co/Ib2gqwHPJr
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) September 27, 2015
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