Apple has been discovered to have taken extra precautions to prevent leaks about the iPhone 6 from happening last year. Cupertino required accessory makers, often a source for leaks, to sign a new agreement that prevents them from seeking out information about new Apple devices. Which has also been interpreted as preventing them from reading news about iPhones and iPads.
9to5Mac reports that Apple demanded a number of accessory makers sign the new agreement in the month leading up to the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Rejecting the agreement would have lead to their products being banned from Apple’s stores, which would greatly affect their earnings.
The thing is that none of these accessory makers are privy to learning the specifications of the devices before they are officially announced. Most cases are built based on leaks and rumours and, while most are reasonably accurate, do not necessarily reflect the final product. Despite this, Apple believes that this situation impacts the sales of older model phones as people wait for the next generation of iPhone.
While the agreement took place during the launch of the iPhone 6, Apple itself is apparently still clearing out third party cases from its stores. An act that analyst speculates is to make space for the coming Apple Watch; although it could simply be attempting to push more consumers to its own in-house cases.
[Source: 9to5Mac]
