Beware, Apple leakers: The hoaxer who created a faux Apple invite for the iPhone 16 occasion says he’ll most likely attempt to pull off an analogous prank sooner or later. Lorenzo, a 14-year-old video editor from Italy, says he created the bogus invite in about 10 minutes out of boredom when he was sick. Then he despatched the picture to a identified leaker — and watched because the faux doc whipped up a frenzy within the Apple rumor mill.
“I really feel like leaks will be boring generally so I need to spice it up,” he advised Cult of Mac in a direct message. “Possibly by placing extra effort into making a superb idea subsequent time.”
Pretend iPhone 16 invite fools the web
The world of Apple leaks and rumors is crammed with many gamers. Reporters cite nameless sources. Builders dig into Apple betas and discover revealing bits of code. And leakers serve up rumors, vetted with various levels of due diligence.
Lorenzo’s faux Apple invite, which he despatched to leaker Majin Bu this week, seemed simply actual sufficient to persuade some publications to jot down it up as doubtlessly legit. (Cult of Mac covered the “leak” with some skepticism.)
The counterfeit invite succeeded as a result of it melded a number of of probably the most distinguished iPhone 16 rumors — a new Capture button for working the digicam, a bronze titanium color for the Pro models — together with an informed guess about when Apple would possibly maintain its subsequent massive product occasion. And it packaged all that information right into a faux invite that adopted Apple’s customary format.
A self-taught, 14-year-old Apple fan
Illustration: Lorenzo
After information publications picked up Majin Bu’s publish, the faux iPhone 16 invite shortly made the rounds of the Apple leakosphere. The quantity of consideration generated by his shortly produced mockup shocked Lorenzo.
“I used to be fairly stunned,” he advised Cult of Mac. “I believed my invite seemed faux sufficient.”
Lorenzo stated he’s been into tech, and particularly into Apple merchandise, since he was fairly younger. He retains up on Apple rumors by scrolling by way of X and studying articles that present up on his timeline.
The largely self-taught artist stated he “used Figma to make the precise invite and Microsoft Copilot to generate the feel that I used for the brand.” Then he used his data of the Apple rumors ecosystem to focus on Majin Bu, an Apple leaker with greater than 53,000 followers on X. Lorenzo despatched the leaker the picture, together with a sketchy story for a way he obtained it.
Majin Bu printed the fake iPhone 16 invite Monday on X, whereas admitting, “I’ve no way of verifying that this information is real, nevertheless it all appears very believable contemplating the most recent information.”
“I selected him primarily as a result of, regardless of his doubtful observe file, folks nonetheless belief him,” Lorenzo stated. “And due to his observe file I used to be extra positive that my ‘leak’ would find yourself on his web page.”
Contained in the Apple leaks ecosystem
When contacted by Cult of Mac, Majin Bu expressed skepticism about Lorenzo’s picture, although the leaker finally determined to publish it anyway.
“Really I’m skeptical about all of the issues I publish as a result of you may by no means make sure of something,” stated Majin Bu in a non-public message change on X.
How does Majin Bu, who beforehand shared info within the Apple Inside neighborhood, vet Apple rumors?
“I normally attempt to perceive if what that particular person says could possibly be true by evaluating myself with different informants of mine or by following my instinct,” he wrote.
“In any case there’s a doubtlessly excessive margin of error, subsequently I’ve all the time invited folks to not imagine what I publish, additionally as a result of I’m the primary to have doubts,” he advised Cult of Mac.
“Nevertheless, typically folks unknown to the world have turned out to be bearers of right info, a lot of the informants I’ve had previously aren’t reliable folks, many have written to me by probability.”
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, a veteran Apple reporter with a observe file of vetted scoops, was incredulous the faux invite bought posted with zero vetting.
1) Apple occasion invitations by no means leak prematurely. That will basically be unimaginable.
2) Shocked/not shocked this was coated by a number of publications. Much less stunned that the unique poster printed it with zero diligence and a declare of authority. https://t.co/P32LRcQuP1
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 20, 2024
iPhone 16 invite hoaxer reveals his trick … and plans to do it once more
Lorenzo himself introduced the entire thing to a crashing halt Tuesday by confessing on X.
“Enjoyable truth,” he wrote on X. “I made the ‘leaked’ Apple Occasion invite in lower than 10 minutes utilizing figma and an Ai generated texture and I despatched it to the leaker simply because I used to be bored.”
He even posted a video run-through of his artistic course of:
Enjoyable truth: i made the “leaked” Apple Occasion invite in lower than 10 minutes utilizing figma and an Ai generated texture
and that i despatched it to the leaker simply because i used to be bored pic.twitter.com/3tX9QgUy4p— Lore (@lorevfx) August 20, 2024
After Lorenzo revealed that the “leak” was a hoax, Majin Bu complimented the young Italian artist’s skills. “I respect your effort although,” Majin Bu wrote Tuesday. “In case you want somebody for graphics contact this man.”
Lorenzo stated the faux iPhone 16 invite was his first effort at ginning up one thing like this.
“I had been eager to do one thing comparable since final 12 months,” he stated, “however with extra effort put into it.”
Lorenzo stated he would possibly change up his strategy subsequent time to take the time extra of a collaboration — or he would possibly even go solo.
“I’ll really be sure to inform the leaker what I need to do,” he stated. “Possibly I gained’t even contact one other particular person and I’ll do the whole lot on my own.”
