New video catches Apple's iPhone X ahead of Nov. 3 release date

By Roger Fingas

A video uploaded on Saturday appears to show yet another iPhone X "in the wild," despite even preorders having to wait until next Friday.

In the 10-second clip, found on Reddit, a person shows off the back of a silver phone, unlocks it with a vertical swipe, then opens Instagram. While the hardware's authenticity can't be guaranteed and its provenance is unknown, it carries all of the design traits of the real iPhone X such as a glass back, a vertically-aligned rear camera, and a sensor notch interrupting an edge-to-edge display.

A number of iPhone X units have already been seen in the hands of Apple workers in San Francisco. Since the device was officially revealed last month, there may be no special reason to prevent staff from using it in public -- especially if they're conducting real-world testing that could result in later iOS updates.

The iPhone X is expected to be in very short supply when it arrives on Nov. 3, owing to production bottlenecks related to the TrueDepth camera used for Face ID and animoji. Indeed Apple COO Jeff Williams is expected to discuss the issue when he meets with Foxconn chairman Terry Gou later this month.