Images of an Apple Watch prototype have appeared inside a special security case, featuring pre-watchOS development software and a “Lisa Tester” application that shows what the finished trampoline would look like.
Apple tends to build prototypes of devices and disguise them in bulky cases, to allow testers to use them without attracting unwanted glances. The test units are normally destroyed by Apple, but apparently it survived and images were shared with the prototype running the internal software.
The prototype in the images does not have a digital crown and runs an internal testing software that exists pre-watchOS. 9to5Mac first reported the images, which were shared by Twitter user @AppleDemoYT.
The Apple Watch prototype with Security Case runs an internal version of Pre-WatchOS 1.0, complete with internal testing applications and development settings. It is extremely amazing that such a thing could still exist; without being destroyed. #appleinternal pic.twitter.com/WDTWP0NpIp
– Apple Demo (@AppleDemoYT) December 27, 2020
An image displays a warning that the device has not been approved by the FCC and is not permitted to be sold. Some of the software is similar to the final watchOS 1.0 UI, but one notable application is the Lisa Simpson image, a reference to the Apple Lisa computer, and an application used to test the trampoline and other features.
Leaks from Apple’s internal testing team rarely occur because they are kept under lock, key, and non-disclosure agreements. Another recent leak showed the assembly line of the 2007 Apple iPhone, which showed some of the quality assurance tests performed on the new devices.