I thought it would be fun to look back on calendar year 2017 and judge all the iPhone rumors now that we know what the new iPhones actually are. I used only rumors that made it to MacRumors since it was the best “pulse” I think is out there for this sort of thing.

Overall there were 90 total rumors posted to MacRumors about the iPhone 8/X and 58 of those rumors turned out to be correct. Here are some standouts:

• 64% of rumors were accurate in 2017, that’s up from 54% I found in 2016
• May-July was a pretty great run for accuracy, 18/21 rumors were legit
• February 9 was when we knew all 3 iPhones would have wireless charging
• February 16 was when we knew there would be only facial recognition, not Touch ID on the best iPhone
• February 21 was when we knew there would only be 2 storage sizes instead of the 3 we’d had for 8 years
• March 3 was when we learned all iPhones would have fast charging via a USB-C to Lightning cable
• April 17 was where we saw the first spot on schematic for the iPhone X
• May 12 someone basically nailed the pricing of the iPhone X
• September 9 is when we knew the iPhone X name. Only 3 days before the event! Seriously, this was not suggested by any inside source before this.

Below is a list of all the rumors I looked at as well a my verdict for whether they were correct or not. All this iPhone X news is still pretty fresh, so let me know if I need to change any judgements.

January

Overall: 3/4

• CORRECT Apple to Forge 'iPhone 8' Chassis Frame From Stainless Steel Instead of Aluminum
• CORRECT iPhone 8 May Include Facial and Gesture Recognition
• UNKNOWN Apple Exploring Two-Step Touch ID and Facial Recognition System for iPhone 8
• CORRECT iPhone 8 May Use Apple's In-House Inductive Wireless Charging Rather Than Technology From Energous

February

Overal: 5/10

• CORRECT All Three New 2017 iPhones to Feature Wireless Charging
• WRONG iPhone 8 Said to Feature Iris Scanner to Authenticate With Your Eyes
• WRONG iPhone 8 Said to Have Separate Wireless Charger, No Headphone Jack Adapter or USB-C Cable in Box
• WRONG iPhone 7s Said to Keep Aluminum Design as iPhone 8 Gets Glass With Stainless Steel Frame
• WRONG iPhone 8 to Feature 5.8-Inch OLED Display With 5.15-Inch Main Screen and Virtual Buttons Below
• CORRECT iPhone 8 Expected to Have 3D Facial Recognition Instead of Touch ID
• CORRECT iPhone 8 Will Include 'Revolutionary' Front Camera With 3D Sensing Abilities
• CORRECT iPhone 8 Said to Have 3GB of RAM and 64GB/256GB Storage Options
• CORRECT iPhone 8 With Longer Battery Life Said to Entice Those With Older iPhones to Upgrade
• WRONG iPhone 8 Will Have Curved OLED Screen and USB-C Connector

March

Overall 5/11

• CORRECT Ming-Chi Kuo Says All 2017 iPhones Will Have Lightning Connectors With USB-C Fast Charging
• WRONG Apple Has a Redesigned Fingerprint ID Solution For the iPhone 8
• CORRECT Nikkei Now Agrees 'iPhone 8' Will Have Larger 5.8-Inch OLED Display
• 2X WRONG 'iPhone 8' Could Reportedly Be Called 'iPhone Edition,' Ship Well After 4.7-Inch and 5.5-Inch Versions
• CORRECT 5.8-Inch iPhone Expected to Have Flat Display Despite 'Curved' Rumors
• WRONG 5.8-Inch iPhone Said to Have Curved Display, But Not as Curved as Galaxy S7 Edge
• CORRECT 5.8-Inch iPhone Affirmed to Have Mostly Flat Display With Slightly Curved Edges
• WRONG Apple's iPhone 8 Said to Feature 'Water Drop Design' in Homage to Original iPhone
• WRONG 'iPhone 8' Still Expected to Launch in September in Limited Quantities
• CORRECT All Three 2017 iPhones Said to Feature True Tone Displays

April

Overall: 7/15

• WRONG iPhone 8 Predicted to Start at $850 to $900 for 64GB Model, $950 to $1,000 for 256GB Model
• CORRECT New Report Suggests Apple Could Delay 'iPhone 8' Launch to October or November
• CORRECT iPhone 8 Pre-Orders Still Expected in September, But Shipments Likely Delayed Until 'Several Weeks Later'
• WRONG and CORRECT¹ All Three 2017 iPhones Predicted to Have 3GB of RAM and Lightning Connectors With Faster Charging
• WRONG Potential 'iPhone 8' Render Shows Vertical Camera and Rear Touch ID, But Likely One of Several Designs
• CORRECT (this was a big one!) New Renderings Show an 'iPhone 8' Design With Full-Front Display and Minimal Bezels All Around
• WRONG 'iPhone Edition' Said to Have Polished Stainless Steel Frame Similar to Apple Watch, Vertical Camera for VR
• CORRECT Apple Will Still Include a Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter With This Year's iPhones, Says Barclays
• WRONG Another 'iPhone 8' Design Schematic Shows Vertical Dual Camera and Touch ID on Back of Aluminum Casing
• WRONG iPhone 8 Shell Render Features Vertical Dual-Lens Camera, iPhone 5-Style Body
• CORRECT (this is a spot on dummy unit) Dummy 'iPhone 8' Images Appear Online Suggesting Touch ID Embedded in Edge-to-Edge Display
• WRONG Ming-Chi Kuo Agrees iPhone 8 Will Launch in September With 'Severe' Shortages Due to Delayed Production
• WRONG Questionable Rumor Claims Apple Will Debut Two iPhones This Year, Not Three
• CORRECT Alleged iPhone 8 Schematic Depicts Dual-Lens Vertical Rear Camera, Hints at Wireless Charging

May

Overall: 6/7

• WRONG (but close) Rumors Persist About Apple Placing Touch ID on Back of iPhone 8
• CORRECT Severe Supply Shortages Again Rumored for iPhone 8 Due to Production Difficulties
• CORRECT New 'iPhone 8' Renders Shared Online Based on Alleged Leaked CAD Images
• CORRECT (they’re slightly off with the storage, but the prices were basically right on) iPhone 8 Predicted to Cost $999 For 128GB And $1,099 For 256GB, With No 32GB Model
• CORRECT Alleged Molds Purport to Show Relative Sizes of Apple's 2017 iPhones
• CORRECT (rough, but very accurate) New iPhone 8 Dummy Video Surfaces as Third-Party Companies Start Developing Clones
• CORRECT ’iPhone 8' Renders Offer Direct Size Comparisons With iPhone 7 and Galaxy S8

June

Overall: 6/7

• CORRECT (those look authentic to me) First Alleged iPhone 8 Part Leaks Surface
• CORRECT Apple Supplier Confirms New iPhone Models Will Be 'Waterproof' With Wireless Charging
• CORRECT Leaked iPhone 8 Screen Protector Includes Reduced Bezels and Front-Facing Camera Cutout
• CORRECT Supply Chain Evidence Mounts for Advanced 3D Sensing Abilities Coming to iPhone 8
• CORRECT New iPhone 8 Glimpse Combines Leaked Parts to Show Off What Device Might Look Like at Launch
• WRONG (it’s not in the box) iPhone 8 Expected to Include Faster 10W USB-C Wall Charger
• CORRECT (the measurements are spot on, the metal band is wrong) New Dummy Video Gives Yet Another Look at Prospective iPhone 8 Design

July

Overall: 6/8

• CORRECT Ming-Chi Kuo Predicts iPhone 8 Will Omit Touch ID Entirely, Come in Limited Color Options
• CORRECT All 2017 iPhone Models Said to Include Standard 5W USB-A Adapter, With Wireless Charger Sold Separately
• CORRECT Wireless Charging Accessory Might Not Ship Until After New 2017 iPhones Launch
• WRONG ’iPhone 8' to Come in Four Colors Including New 'Mirror-Like' Option
• WRONG iPhone 8 May Feature Rear-Facing 3D Laser for Improved Autofocus and AR
• CORRECT Apple's 'iPhone 8' Might Not Ship Until Late 2017, Side Button Touch ID Unlikely
• CORRECT iPhone 8 Infrared Face Detection and General Device Design Revealed in HomePod Firmware
• CORRECT HomePod Firmware Suggests iPhone 8 Split Status Bar, Tap to Wake and No Touch ID Under Display

August

Overall: 8/16

• CORRECT iPhone 8 Facial Recognition Will Likely Work With Apple Pay According to HomePod Firmware
• WRONG (no 60fps 4k on front camera) HomePod Firmware Suggests iPhone 8 May Record 4K Video at 60 FPS With Both Front and Rear Cameras
• CORRECT HomePod Firmware Suggests iPhone 8 Will Be Able to Scan Your Face Even While Device is Lying Flat
• CORRECT Leaked Foxconn Images Show Off Internals of iPhone 8, Including Wireless Charging Coil
• WRONG All 2017 iPhones to Come in Only Three Colors, Launch Simultaneously in September
• WRONG (as far as we know) Apple's 'iPhone 8' May Mute Notification Sounds When the User is Looking at the Screen
• CORRECT, WRONG, CORRECT iPhone 8 Facial Recognition Appears to Support Payments, Multiple Faces and Third-Party Apps
• WRONG iPhone 8 Virtual Home Button Can Likely Resize and Hide Completely As Needed
• WRONG Alleged Foxconn Insider Claims Copper-Like iPhone 8 Color is Officially Called 'Blush Gold’
• WRONG (I think the holes in the notch are wrong) Alleged 'iPhone 8' Component Leaks Continue With OLED Display Assembly, Lightning and Power Flex Cables
• WRONG ’iPhone 8' Said to Come in 64, 256, and 512GB Storage Capacities, All With 3GB of RAM
• CORRECT iPhone 8 Event Date Rumored for September 12, With Device Launching September 22
• CORRECT ’iPhone 8' Could Start at $999 for 64GB Capacity
• CORRECT iOS 11 Dock and Gesture Controls to Replace 'iPhone 8' Home Button Entirely

September

Overall: 12/12

• CORRECT ’iPhone 8' May Include Option to Activate Siri By Holding the Sleep/Wake Button
• CORRECT iPhone 8 Manufacturing Issues May Lead to Extended Supply Shortages and Shipping Delays
• CORRECT OLED iPhone 8 Rumored to Ship Sometime After Standard iPhone 7s Models
• CORRECT Leaked iOS 11 GM Reveals iPhone 8 Features, Hints at LTE Apple Watch
• CORRECT iPhone 8 Camera Allows Users to Customize 3D Animated Emoji Using Facial Expressions
• CORRECT (first time anyone called it “iPhone X”) Latest Leak Suggests Apple Will Announce 'iPhone 8', 'iPhone 8 Plus', and 'iPhone X' on Tuesday
• CORRECT ’iPhone X' Split Status Bar Leak Shows Off Animated Battery Icon and Screen Recording Indicator
• CORRECT KGI: All iPhone X Colors Will Have Black Bezels to Ensure 'Better Aesthetic Design’
• CORRECT Details Emerge Regarding 'Face ID' Setup Process on iPhone X
• CORRECT iOS 11 GM Leak Reveals Details on Face ID, Apple Pay, Wireless Charging, and A11 Chip in iPhone X
• CORRECT iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus to Feature 3GB RAM, iPhone 8 to Have 2GB
• CORRECT A11 Chip's 6-Core Architecture Highlights Apple's Continuing Push Into Heterogeneous Computing