Unreleased iPhones Running iOS 7 Appear in Developer Logs

iPhone 6 and iOS 7 Appear in Developer Logs

Unreleased iPhone hardware and software has begun to show up in website and developer logs, The Next Web reported Monday. Multiple developers recently reported seeing references to “iPhone6,1” and iOS 7 in their usage logs (Apple’s most recent iPhone, the iPhone 5, has an “iPhone5,1” or “iPhone5,2” designation and currently runs iOS 6).

While it is possible for a user to fake the identity of the device and software used to connect to an app or website, these particular references to future products from Apple originate from an internal Apple IP address, enhancing the likelihood that they are not fakes and that Apple has begun extensive testing of the next iPhone and iOS operating system.

According to developer and website reports, the first instances of iOS 7 traffic date back to December. While Apple has recently altered its release schedule, and rumors are building that it will move to a 6-month product cycle for the iPhone and iPad, the company traditionally announces iOS updates in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference and releases them in the fall.

If Apple plans to keep a similar iOS release schedule in 2013, the recently discovered developer logs indicate that the iOS team is on schedule, despite the abrupt, and forced, departure of the team’s leader, Scott Forstall, in late October.

Although the release of iOS 7 is a near certainty, there is thus far little indication of what new features the update will include.

Teaser graphic via Shutterstock.