Names of Apple's latest iPhones have been leaked

Details of Apple's upcoming iPhones have been revealed via an apparent leak, according to multiple foreign media outlets on Monday.

The name of the latest iPhone, which was said to be sold at a price of over 1,000 U.S. dollars, will be "iPhone X", multiple sites have reported, adding that the other two new iPhones would be called the "iPhone 8" and "iPhone 8 Plus". More details about the new facial recognition technology, called "Face ID", as well as a new messaging app using 3D technology to make emojis have been released as well.

It is reported that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be the basic models upgraded from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The two new iPhones will feature glass back panels and wireless inductive charging, the rumors said.

What makes Apple fans most excited is the iPhone X, which is expected to be the biggest "surprise" at Tuesday's launch event. As the newest high-end model of Apple, the iPhone X is reported to use controlling gestures instead of the traditional home button on the front. At the same time, the iPhone X will also introduce a high-definition 5.8-inch OLED display.

Apple has declined to comment.

In fact, it is not the first time that details of Apple's new products were leaked, even though the California-based company takes great efforts to keep its technologies secret, such as in August when Apple published codes for its HomePod speakers.

In the case of the iPhone X and the series of iPhone 8, some Apple watchers pointed out that they were almost "certain" the leak was deliberate this time.

"Someone within Apple leaked the list of URLs to 9to5Mac and MacRumors," said John Gruber, a famous blogger known for his coverage of Apple.

"I'm nearly certain this wasn't a mistake, but rather a deliberate malicious act by a rogue Apple employee. Whoever did this is the least-popular person in Cupertino. More surprises were spoiled by this leak than any leak in Apple history."

Will such a large-scale leak make Tuesday's launch lose its power to surprise the public?

"For other companies this might have huge impact on the effectiveness of their grand official launches, but for Apple there is such insatiable demand for even the smallest details and such an obsessive fan-following of its products that even a very detailed leak will do little to dampen the enthusiasm of bloggers and others to report its news," said Ben Wood from tech consultancy CCS Insight in an interview with BBC.