Purported iPhone 18 Pro drop-test clips are removed from X
Videos said to show an iPhone 18 Pro drop test were taken down after Reuters reported a supplier breach involving Tata Electronics.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Videos described as showing an unreleased iPhone 18 Pro in a drop test were removed from X shortly after they appeared on the platform, The Verge reported, citing MacRumors. The takedowns followed a Reuters report that photos and parts information tied to the upcoming phone had surfaced after a data breach at Apple supplier Tata Electronics.
The Verge reported that one X account, which was posing as the leaker Evleaks, was suspended after posting the clips. The post itself was also removed, with X stating that it had violated the platform’s rules, according to The Verge.
Another account known for device leaks, IceUniverse, also shared the material, The Verge reported. In a Weibo post, IceUniverse displayed a screenshot from X showing the post had been removed and included a machine-translated caption saying that Apple had started blocking the leaked data on Twitter, according to The Verge.
What the videos appeared to show
The clips circulating on X showed a gray device with an Apple logo and a three-camera arrangement falling a short distance in front of a checkered background, according to The Verge. The Verge said the footage matched elements of Reuters’ reporting, which described leaked material that included iPhone 18 Pro drop-test photos and parts lists.
Reuters reported Monday that images of the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro had begun appearing on the dark web after Tata Electronics, described by Reuters as one of Apple’s key suppliers, experienced a data breach. Reuters also reported that a source said Apple was concerned about the breach.
The Verge reported that the removals did not stop the clips from circulating. Other X accounts reposted the videos after the original takedowns, according to The Verge.
Apple has not commented
Apple did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment, The Verge reported. The company has not confirmed the authenticity of the clips in the reporting cited by The Verge, and the device shown in the videos has only been described by leakers and reports as the iPhone 18 Pro.
The episode adds to a series of claims about Apple hardware appearing online before an official announcement. In this case, Reuters tied the alleged images and parts information to a supplier breach, while The Verge reported that X removals and reposts followed as the material spread across social media.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.