Apple has a penchant for going to great lengths to protect its secrets, including concealing early Apple Watch prototypes in special cases resembling a bricked-phone design.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Apple uses special cases to keep prototype designs secret
- They’re used when testing prototype devices in the wild
- Early Apple Watch prototypes were tested in these cases, too
The ingenious Apple Watch disguise
Apple Demo on Twitter posted never-before-seen images of prototype 38mm Apple Watches hidden within specially designed cases meant to conceal their design completely.
These early prototypes are somewhat functional, with prerelease watchOS software running without a hiccup even though there are several internal settings still present on the devices.
Prototype Apple Watches (38mm and 42mm) with Security Cases side by side. These cases where made to conceal the design of the Apple Watch 1st Generation during transport out of lockdown. Here is the never before seen 38mm version! Gotta love the brick phone design! #appleinternal pic.twitter.com/eo7IUUNVba
— Apple Demo (@AppleDemoYT) June 12, 2021
The prototypes seem to lack a Digital Crown button though. Instead, there are two buttons on the left side of the device and an additional button on the case itself.
You can clearly see the resemblance between the Prototype Apple Watches with Security Cases and the products they are meant to be imitating with these shots. #appleinternal pic.twitter.com/UrSnjEENtw
— Apple Demo (@AppleDemoYT) June 13, 2021
Apple Demo previously published photographs showing the company’s security cases designed for 42mm Apple Watch prototype that looked like an iPod music player.
Apple is known for concealing work-in-progress hardware in special boxes.
An Absolutely DESTROYED (But Working) Piece Of Apple History! An Original Apple Watch (PVT Stage) that was SMASHED by Apple, but still lives to see another day! My video on this Apple Watch is up! https://t.co/rMtYjoGE8b pic.twitter.com/KClZ6RhHdE
— Apple Demo (@AppleDemoYT) June 5, 2021
Doing so permits employees to test upcoming products in the wild without risking revealing their designs. But it can also prevent early testers from spotting certain issues.
As an example, Apple’s employees who had been testing early iPhone 4 prototypes concealed in these cases were unaware of the fact that touching a gap in the stainless steel band would cause wireless interference and cause cellular signal to drop before they never took the phone out of the case while out in the public.