- The FCC appears to have accidentally published confidential schematics of the iPhone 16e.
- This includes a 163-page document detailing technical descriptions and other sensitive details of the device.
- A cover letter from Apple was also included, which specifically asked the regulator not to release these details.
It’s not every day that you get an iPhone leak from the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), which appears to have published confidential schematics of the iPhone 16e, accidentally. To be specific, the FCC has mistakenly released a 163-page PDF containing the electrical schematics of the iPhone 16e, which it describes as A3212, A3408, A3409, and A3410.
Confidential iPhone 16e Documents Published by FCC
The file was discovered on Monday and later republished by FCCID.IO, according to a report by AppleInsider. The agency has also shared a cover letter from Apple, dated September 16, 2024, requesting the regulators to keep the documents away from public view “indefinitely,” as they could contain “confidential and proprietary trade secrets.”
In case you are not aware, smartphones sold in the US have to first go through testing and certification from the FCC. So, the phone maker has to submit the hardware, as well as the related documents of its schematics, containing details that could be commercially sensitive in nature. Therefore, Apple and other companies request the agency to safeguard these details from public view.
The released documents include the following details of the iPhone 16e:
- Block Diagrams
- Electrical Schematic Diagrams
- Technical Descriptions, Product Specifications
- Antenna Locations
- Tune-Up Procedure
- Software Security Description
Since the iPhone 16e launched earlier this year, one might assume that the release of these documents might not cause harm since as competitors could simply buy the device and look into its internal components. However, the PDF gives rivals firsthand insight into Apple’s construction process on the phone, eliminating any sort of guesswork.
That said, Apple is very protective of its intellectual property, and wouldn’t hesitate to pursue patent infringement lawsuits. But that still does not answer the question of how the information leaked in the first place. One theory is that it could be due to a glitch in the FCC’s database. But the regulation has still not provided any comments on the matter yet.
