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Sony is fighting leaks of prototype devices by banning benchmark apps

By Chris P.

Published: Jan 24, 2014, 9:32 AM

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Sony is fighting leaks of prototype devices by banning benchmark apps

Leaking sometimes vital information about new and upcoming devices has become as much a part of the mobile industry, as the actual phones. As the years have gone by, a small, but thriving elite of leakers has proliferated, and for a very good reason -- some of the leaked information is usually quite a bit more than just relayed rumors. Japanese Sony knows a thing or two about this, as its flagships, the Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact, were both leaked pretty much in full, long before they were officially announced. We literally knew the precise way the devices would end up looking, along with what type of hardware they'll carry. It's no surprise, then, to see that Sony has, once again, taken steps to limit access to undisclosed models.

The new measure is aimed at benchmark apps, which routinely disclose precise hardware information about unknown devices. To that end, software on prototype Sony smartphones will no longer allow the installation of such apps, and the Xperia Blog has actually managed to obtain proof of that. The screenshot you're looking at could be a little misleading, as it may let you believe that it's just a warning. According to the folks who got their hands on it, however, it actually completely blocks the installation of an undisclosed benchmark app. It remains unknown whether such a measure will reliably stop the installation of renamed benchmarking apps, though it sounds rather unlikely.

source: Xperia Blog

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Chris Panayotov is a former mobile tech reviewer of phones, tablets and wearables at PhoneArena. However, his contribution to PhoneArena content includes not just reviews, but all kinds of regular and experimental features, such as news stories, buying guides, and an exclusive column on the most notable phones out of Asia.