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FCC Mistakenly Leaks Confidential iPhone 16e Schematics (appleinsider.com)

(Monday September 29, 2025 @11:30PM (BeauHD) from the would-you-look-at-that dept.)


The FCC mistakenly [1]published a 163-page PDF [2]containing detailed schematics for Apple's upcoming iPhone 16e , despite Apple explicitly requesting indefinite confidentiality to protect trade secrets. AppleInsider reports:

> A [3]cover letter is also distributed alongside the schematics, addressed to the FCC and dated September 16, 2024. The letter from Apple is a request for the confidential treatment of documents that are filed with the FCC. [...] The letter from Apple requests a series of documents are withheld from public viewing "indefinitely." The justification is that they contain "confidential and proprietary trade secrets" that are not disclosed to the public post-release, due to giving competitors an "unfair advantage."

>

> The list of documents, Apple states, includes: Block Diagrams, Electrical Schematic Diagrams, Technical Descriptions, Product Specifications, Antenna Locations, Tune-Up Procedure, and Software Security Description. Other documents, such as external and internal photographs, shots of the test setup, and the user manual, are deemed to be less damaging and have "short-term confidentiality" requirements. In those cases, Apple asks for short-term confidentiality for 180 days after the equipment authorization is granted by the FCC.



[1] https://fccid.io/BCG-E8726A/Schematics/A3212-A3408-A3409-A3410-System-Electrical-Schematics-V1-0-8024509

[2] https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/09/29/fcc-mistakenly-leaks-confidential-iphone-16e-schematics?utm_source=feedly

[3] https://fccid.io/BCG-E8726A/Letter/FCC-Request-Confidentiality-Letter-v1-0-8019624



Re:Thank You (Score:4, Interesting)

by backslashdot ( 95548 )

Umm, the phone is manufactured in China isn't it? They have the schematics already. Besides, schematics are easily reverse engineered

Re: (Score:2)

by registrations_suck ( 1075251 )

Apple fan here.

Couldn't not care less about Apple's China connections, let alone anyone highlighting them.

Nice try, troll.

Re: (Score:2)

by registrations_suck ( 1075251 )

I got nothing else to do man. Plus, it's free to reply.

Re: (Score:2)

by anonymouscoward52236 ( 6163996 )

Manufacturers used to include a page in the manual with the schematics. You'd buy a washer or dryer and it would have this....

Also easily in airquotes. I mean... you could take photos of all components on a board, then delaminate (trim down with a CNC drill) one layer at a time, take photos of that, feed it into AI and tell it to trace all the paths and draw a nice schematic.

Re: (Score:2)

by willy_me ( 212994 )

You don't need schematics to manufacturer Gerbers into a PCB and then to populate a BOM. Schematics can also include many notes. For example, explanations on why specific design choices were made.

All that being said, it would be great if manufacturers did provide schematics. Perhaps this is one of the few advantages of having the administration gut the FCC.

Re: (Score:2)

by viperidaenz ( 2515578 )

For?

All you need to clone it is the schematic.... and the proprietary chips. An iPhone clone is pretty useless without a CPU.

The only thing leaking schematics can do to harm sales is increase the likelihood a broken phone can be repaired.

Upcoming? (Score:4, Interesting)

by rsmith-mac ( 639075 )

Upcoming? The iPhone 16e was released last year . These are schematics for a phone that has been out for a year.

The problem with this document's release is that it's technical information that was supposed to be kept confidential forever .

I'm assuming this is just an error on the FCC's part, and that they automatically released it after a year. Though with the current administration, Hanlon's razor is getting harder and harder to apply.

Re: (Score:2)

by viperidaenz ( 2515578 )

If by last year, you mean February 2025, sure.

Announced February 19th, shipped February 28th.

Indefinitely to a few months is quite efficient (Score:1)

by Anonymous Coward

Thank DOGE

Re: (Score:2)

by cpurdy ( 4838085 )

Not sure why you're downvoted ... gutting the federal government and driving off the competent people (i.e. everyone but the Fox News idiots) has a negative impact on the efficiency and capability of our government.

Re: (Score:2)

by Pascoea ( 968200 )

> Not sure why you're downvoted

Some people don't like it when you point out the folly of their ways.

No longer confidential. (Score:2)

by mysidia ( 191772 )

Guess what.. since the Info has been published by a government entity. The Schematics are no longer confidential.

I guess now we get to see whether competitors will truly gain an "unfair" advantage or not.

Re: (Score:2)

by Mspangler ( 770054 )

Too bad it wasn't the T2 chip. Having the complete documentation on that would make getting Linux on Apple's hardware a lot easier.

Re: (Score:2)

by magusxxx ( 751600 )

I'm wondering if jailbreakers aren't going to get one just for "reasons".

Something something (Score:2)

by ArchieBunker ( 132337 )

Best and brightest.

Oh no (Score:2)

by Bahbus ( 1180627 )

The tech specs to prove how shitty their designs are.

Re: (Score:2)

by VaccinesCauseAdults ( 7114361 )

Can you give examples of what aspects of their designs you believe to be poor, and how the tech specs support your belief?

Links? (Score:1)

by IceManNCSU ( 7524240 )

Unless someone has the PDF and a link to download it (not needing the FCC links), is this really news?! Part of the game companies have to play is the fact they have to deal with the FCC, the FCC is similar to the patent office. They hold one of the final says as to what is able to be legally sold in the USA. All if not most companies will 'have' to provide very intimate details about the devices they wish to get final approval for. Honestly I am quite surprised the FCC site hasn't been the target of a

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