In an exclusive interview, we delve into the journey of a leading Apple reporter who started covering the company at just 15 years old.
On Christmas Eve of 2009, Apple rumors site MacRumors published a story about Apple buying the iSlate.com domain.
The company was expected to unveil its first-ever tablet, and the domain seemed to hint at the device's possible name.
At the end of MacRumour’s story, there was a thank you note to Mark Gurman for “pinpointing” the domain name.
This was the first major story uncovered by a then 15-year-old high school student. Soon after the publication, Gurman joined 9to5Mac, another Apple rumors site, and reported on major Apple products and launches, including Apple’s introduction of Siri, FaceTime, MacBook Pros with Retina display, and many more.
The teenager’s Apple-related news coverage was quickly noticed by some of the major media outlets, including CNN and Business Insider, that featured stories about him.
Now, at 30, Gurman is an established name in the tech journalist world who works at Bloomberg. He still publishes Apple product leaks, though his topics are much broader and have a business angle.
Gurman’s reporting and his weekly newsletter, PowerOn, are often quoted by the biggest tech media channels.
But how can one reporter get insights into product launches of a privacy-focused company like Apple? How did he find his sources? Why do people talk to him?
Soon, we’ll share some of Mark’s insights into Apple products in an exclusive Cybernews interview. For now, let’s dive deeper into his reporting journey.
How did it all start?
Mark’s interest in Apple began when he was a kid. As he once told the University of Michigan’s alumni association, he was fascinated with Apple technology from the moment he saw the first iPod Mini around 2004.
His parents, who were also Apple fans, certainly contributed to his passion. On their anniversary, they spent time waiting in line with their son so he could be among the first to own an iPhone.
Driven by curiosity, high-school student Gurman started researching Apple and its former CEO, Steve Jobs. This led to some interesting discoveries.
“Early on, a lot of the stories were based on information I was able to glean from publicly available sources. So, one of my early discoveries was related to domain names. That was a firm suggestion that a tablet was coming,” Gurman tells Cybernews.
“I also found a lot of information in the iOS code. I was originally an iPhone and iPad app developer back when the App Store launched in the late 2000, and I had a lot of developer connections.”
Gradually, he started covering the company in “a more meaningful way,” including internal ongoings within Cupertino, upcoming product launches, and the manufacturing supply chain.
Among his best stories, Gurman lists reporting the first details of Siri in 2011, the first photos of the iPhone 5 in 2012, breaking the news of the Apple Car being canceled earlier this year, and reporting on the details of the Vision Pro across 2020 to 2024.
By the way, did Apple actually consider naming its first tablet iSlate?
“I would believe that Apple seriously considered the iPad name for a long time, and by the time the iSlate name was found, Apple had already settled on iPad as the name, probably months or years prior to that. But definitely, I believe that iSlate was one of the considerations,” Gurman says.
An upper hand
Gurman's Apple-related news coverage is mostly based on his sources within the company. Thanks to them, he is able to report on the company’s product launches and news months before the company officially reveals them, if it does at all.
But why do people talk to him? Hundreds of reporters cover Apple, and while some may occasionally break stories about the company’s products, none do it as consistently as Gurman.
Early in his career, Gurman’s connections within the developer community helped him gain trust and meet the right people. Meanwhile, technical knowledge, such as knowing how to code, gave him “an upper hand and a leg up.”
For a journalist, it's much easier to get people to open up if they see that you know the topic well.
“Having that broad understanding is very useful. It would just be almost like a person who knows how to build their own car or a car mechanic or an expert in the automotive business. Imagine them covering a car company,” Gurman explains to Cybernews.
As a major attribute to success, he also lists genuine curiosity and passion.
“I'm sitting here in this interview. I have a MacBook Pro in front of me, an iPad Pro and iPhone, Vision Pro, an Apple TV Pro, and all these Apple accessories. It's like I'm living in an Apple Store, but that's not because of my work. That's because I love the company's products,” Gurman adds.
What does Apple say?
When Gurman was a teenager, some media outlets called him “the nightmare of Apple PR.”
As you might expect, for a privacy-focused company like Apple, the reporter who leaks the products and specs prior to their release will not be a welcome guest. Years ago, Gurman was reportedly excluded from Apple events.
Now, he calls his work relationship with Apple “extremely positive.” Gurman says he often reaches out to the company’s PR department, as it is part of the journalistic process.
However, he hasn’t interviewed Apple CEO Tim Cook, at least not officially or “on the record,” and you won’t see him quoting other Apple executives.
“I think they probably don't like some of the reporting or a lot of the reporting. But I think there's a recognition that they'd rather the reporting than people not caring. The worst thing you can do is have a company where people are so disinterested that nobody wants to cover them,” Gurman says.
I also asked Apple to comment on Gurman’s reporting. The company didn’t reply.
“When will Gurman reveal new iPads?”
For any reporter, credibility comes from accuracy and getting the facts right. There are multiple fake leaks, rumors, and stories out there, especially about a well-known company like Apple.
Has Gurman ever encountered intentional fake leaks?
“I've seen other people post leaks that I could tell that are not legitimate,” he says. “And those were intentionally meant to fake people out. There was a lengthy period across Covid when people were bored and stuck at home. But it sort of tapered down as the world was getting back to normal, and people were going back to their jobs and weren’t stuck at home anymore.”
According to Gurman, distinguishing between signal and noise is a skill you develop over time. Gurman's frequent quotes by major world media outlets should indicate that he has developed the skill.
However, some may not always be satisfied with his reporting—especially eager Apple fans. In a Reddit post titled “When will Mark Gurman release the new iPads?” one user, somewhat jokingly, expressed frustration, claiming that Gurman has been saying that the iPads will be released “next week for the past 3 weeks now.”
I asked Mark why the company may have postponed the launch.
“Apple always has timelines, and they try their best to stick to them. There are always countless reasons why the timing on a launch may change or be canceled altogether,” He replied.
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