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How pre-release iOS builds are used and secured at iPhone assembly plants

While iOS features often leak ahead of their official launch, information about them rarely comes from hardware assembly plants — here’s why.

iPhone screen showing iOS Version page, highlighting update iOS 26.2 (23C40) with description stating the update includes improvements and bug fixes, against a purple gradient background
VendorUI variant of iOS 26.2 running on a DVT-stage iPhone 16 Pro Max. Screenshot Credit: The Apple wiki.

Apple is no stranger to software leaks. Practically every year, before the iPhone maker releases new versions of its operating systems, we see reports claiming to have details about all the unannounced features and design changes.

Though some features end up changing mid-development, and other rumors were never based in truth to begin with, many leaked capabilities end up making it to the release variant of iOS. That begs the question, where does the accurate information come from?

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