Meet the kid behind fake iPhone 16 invite

Revealed: The 14-year-old who fooled the internet.

Author

Leander Kahney
August 20, 2024

On Monday, half the internet lost its mind when Apple’s official invite for next month’s big iPhone 16 launch event leaked online.

The invite was reported far and wide, including by Cult of Mac, and lots of Apple fans marked September 10 as the big day.

Trouble is, the invite was a fake, cooked up in about 10 minutes by Lorenzo, a 14-year-old kid from Italy.

We interviewed the hoaxer, as well as Majin Bu, the longtime Apple leaker who posted it without doing much due diligence.

It turns out the hoaxer is a self-taught Italian video editor who loves to make mockups and WWDC bingo cards.

(Hilariously, Lorenzo’s fake invite may turn out to be true after all. September 10 was previously rumored to be the most likely date by ace Apple leaker, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has a stellar track record and who seems to vet his info before publishing.)

Also in today’s newsletter:

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

iPhone 16 invite prankster says he'll do it again!

Lorenzo, a 14-year-old video editor from Italy, says he created the hoax iPhone 16 invite in about 10 minutes out of boredom.

Update your Apple Watch and Apple TV with these bug fixes today

Get the details on watchOS 10.6.1 and tvOS 17.6.1, a pair of patches that bring fixes for Apple Watch and Apple TV users.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Act fast to get up to $250 off M2 and M3 MacBook Air models

If you'd like to get up to $250 off M2 and M3 Book Air models -- and who wouldn't? -- head over to Amazon now.

xMEMS bets tiny silicon 'fan on a chip' will change mobile-device cooling

The new xMEMS "fan on a chip" could cool mobile devices running ever-more-intensive AI apps through all-silicon technology.

Apple assembling iPhone 16 Pro in India will lead to lower prices

Foxconn could begin assembling the phones in India within weeks of their global launch, making the device more affordable in the country.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Get 3 physical security keys for less than $70

The Thetis FIDO2 Security Key works as a two-factor authenticator, password manager and more. You can get three keys for just $64.99.

Go behind the scenes of struggle to become ‘K-Pop Idols’ [Apple TV+ trailer]

Discover the reality behind the glamour in "K-pop Idols" on Apple TV+. Interviews explore the challenges performers face every day.

Get Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac, just $24.97

Get lifetime access to Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 for Mac, with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Teams Classic.

Finally, a slim travel hub that can handle a USB-C monitor [Review] ★★★★☆

EZQuest USB-C Slim Gen 2 Hub Adapter 6-in-1 makes an ideal travel companion for Apple users. It runs a USB-C monitor plus other accessories.

6 useful apps hiding in your Mac

These apps can help you get your work done faster. And best of all, you already have them on your computer.

Today in Apple history: Apple Card launches as most consumer-friendly credit card ever

On August 20, 2019, the titanium Apple Card reached U.S. consumers for the first time. Consumers quickly grew to love it.

Tweets of the day

Wallpaper of the day

One more thing ...

❝

I end up not buying a lot of things. Because I find them ridiculous.

— Steve Jobs, 2005.

Today’s poll

How skeptical were you really about the fake iPhone event invite?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Results from yesterday’s poll: Should Apple ditch the iPhone's Ultra Wide camera?

Best reader comments

Subscribe to The Weekender — Get the week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.

Reply

or to participate.