Apple Inc. Leaks iPhone 6 Replica: 'The Cash Cow' in Apple Reporting

Nikkei, a Japanese financial site, has reported mockups of iPhone 6 spread across media which are only rough estimates of what its sources from the supply chain have in their hands.

The leak images of iPhone 6 have a low build quality, misaligned home button and flawed display that do not blend perfectly with its aluminium part, the report said as translated to English by G4Games.

Nikkei claimed the final version of iPhone 6 will have a curved display designed with a perfect camouflage of different materials altogether.

Citing unnamed sources from the supply chain, the report said the white stripes seen on the mockups will not be included in the final version as these were only used to mark the area for the new aluminium frame. Apple will also be cutting out the Apple logo in the metal for iPhone 6, according to Nikkei.

But other claims by the paper seemed more like guesses than "solid-sourced" reporting and their credence is highly circumspect, 9to5Mac noted.

As discrepancies to leak images and final versions from supply chain sources exist, Apple is probably leaking these "fake" mockups to test the loyalty of its manufacturers and suppliers, ValueWalk concluded.

While it can be implied that Apple benefits with publicity, whether good or bad, through these leaks and reports, the media has also found a cash cow with reporting about Apple.

Apple is being covered by media outlet across the globe and the coverage amass revenue through advertisements, Douglas McIntyre of 24/7 WALLSt observed.

"Covering Apple generates huge readership numbers, and the advertising revenues that goes with reaching them," McIntyre wrote.

He noted the Wall Street Journal has beat exclusively for Apple with both tech and financial writers always out with comprehensive articles for the company.

Bloomberg and Reuters cover Apple in the same fashion extensively. Fortune has one writer tasked to write about Apple solely. CNNMoney, The Street and BusinessWeek are catching up.

There are also tech sites that are "endlessly" out with articles about Apple - TechCrunch, The Verge, Wired, Gizmodo and Mashable - McIntyre noted.

There are portals that only cover Apple-related news with significant number of unique visitors, according to survey conducted by Compete.

9to5mac.com had 344,000 unique visitors in June, AppleInsider.com had 342,000, Macrumors.com had 509,000, The Unofficial Apple Weblog had 323,000. With the release of iPhone 6 and iWatch nearing, the media will be treated in a delightful feast.

"The chance to cover Apple and its products will grow ahead of the release of the iPhone 6, and perhaps an iWatch. The news media will owe Apple a greater debt as that happens," McIntyre wrote.