The schematic diagrams of the iPhone 16e on page 163 have all been leaked. The FCC is suspected of having a "slippery hand." Apple has repeatedly emphasized that it should be kept "confidential indefinitely."
If the usual leaks of the iPhone's exterior design are just "minor incidents," then this leak can be described as a "nuclear - level" event: Recently, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allegedly "slipped up" and directly made the design schematics of the iPhone 16e public.
This document is 163 pages long, and its level of detail is almost enough for hardware engineers to understand Apple's internal design logic at a glance. Ironically, within the same data package, there is also an official letter submitted by Apple to the FCC, repeatedly emphasizing throughout: "Please keep it confidential indefinitely."
A 163 - page design schematic unexpectedly appears in the FCC database
Initially, the regulatory document tracking website FCCID.IO discovered an abnormal document in the FCC database. After confirmation, it is a 163 - page PDF file that shows the complete circuit schematics of the iPhone 16e (models A3212, A3408, A3409, A3410).
Judging from the content, this document almost encompasses all core design materials:
● Module block diagrams
● Electrical schematics
● Antenna layout
● Technical descriptions and product specifications
● Debugging procedures
● Software security instructions
For ordinary consumers, such documents have little practical significance. However, for hardware R & D personnel, especially engineers from Apple's competitors, this is undoubtedly a "treasure trove" - it can save a great deal of work in reverse engineering and disassembly analysis, directly revealing Apple's internal design ideas.
Sure enough, on the X platform, many netizens have started to analyze the various design highlights of the iPhone 16e in this document:
● Some people praise the complex radio frequency system in the iPhone 16e:
● Some people have intercepted information related to the D23ap of the iPhone 16e:
● Others have directly listed various interesting details of the iPhone 16e one by one:
Did the FCC ignore Apple's request for "indefinite confidentiality"?
What's even more shocking is that among the leaked materials, there is also an official letter from Apple, dated September 16, 2024.
This letter clearly states that the relevant documents contain "confidential and proprietary trade secrets," and if made public, it may give competitors an "unfair advantage." Therefore, Apple requests that these materials be kept confidential "indefinitely."
Meanwhile, the letter also differentiates the confidentiality requirements for different types of documents:
● Documents that must be kept confidential for a long time: Circuit schematics, technical descriptions, antenna positions, software security documents, etc.
● Documents that can be kept confidential for a short time: Internal and external photos of the device, user manuals, photos of the test environment, etc. Apple usually only requires a 180 - day confidentiality period for these materials, and they can be made public after the expiration.
In other words, Apple knows well which materials touch on core secrets and which are relatively harmless - obviously, this time the FCC "released" the most sensitive part.
As of now, the FCC has not made an official response to this leak. However, most people in the industry believe that this is more likely due to a database configuration error: According to the convention, when companies submit materials, they can select which files need to be kept confidential and which are allowed to be made public. If there is an error in the operation or system settings of the regulatory authority, it may lead to the leakage of files that should be "locked down."
In fact, this is not the first time such a situation has occurred. Similar certification agencies, such as the EU, have also had small - scale leaks when handling materials submitted by manufacturers. However, this time it involves a highly secretive company like Apple, and it directly exposes the circuit schematics, which is almost a "nuclear - level" incident in the industry.
No impact on users, but a "gold mine" for competitors
Some people may question: Can't competitors just buy an iPhone 16e and conduct a teardown study?
That's right, physical teardowns can indeed yield a lot of information. But the problem lies in:
● Teardown is speculation: Engineers need to continuously verify the function and connection method of each component.
● The circuit diagram is the answer: The schematic drawn by Apple itself directly presents the most accurate design logic without any ambiguity.
This difference is like the difference between solving a complex math problem on your own and directly getting the standard answer. For competing manufacturers, this document not only saves time but may also reveal Apple's unique design ideas and even help them avoid detours in R & D. Furthermore, if it contains unpublished patent solutions, the impact on Apple will be even greater.
So far, neither Apple nor the FCC has made any comments on this leak. However, the outside world has observed that the FCC seems to have quietly taken remedial measures: Shortly after the incident was discovered, the 163 - page schematic file that could originally be directly retrieved on the FCC's official device certification website has disappeared, and the page can no longer be accessed.
Although the FCC has not officially explained the reason, it is obvious that they have urgently taken down the relevant files after discovering the problem, trying to prevent further spread. However, in today's information - explosion Internet era, once the materials are made public, it largely means that they cannot be completely "taken back."
Reference links:
https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/09/29/fcc-mistakenly-leaks-confidential-iphone-16e-schematics
https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/fcc-accidentally-leaked-iphone-schematics-potentially-giving-rivals-a-peek-at-company-secrets-154551807.html
This article is from the WeChat official account "CSDN". Compiled by Zheng Liyuan. Published by 36Kr with authorization.