Apple tells US judge iPhones are 'Impossible' To Unlock

Apple has said that encrypted data on newer iPhones can't be accessed, even by Apple, though the firm could in theory help police unlock older phones.

The comments came in a briefing filed on Monday to a US judge who asked for Apple's input in a case.

A US Department of Justice request has tried to force the company to help prosecutors access a seized iPhone.
According to Apple, 90% of its devices running iOS 8 or higher can't be unlocked.
The phone that is the subject of the justice department's request is an older device, but Apple has so far resisted unlocking it for authorities.
"Forcing Apple to extract data in this case, absent clear legal authority to do so, could threaten the trust between Apple and its customers and substantially tarnish the Apple brand," the company said in its briefing.
US magistrate Judge James Orenstein, of Brooklyn in New York, has scheduled a hearing for Thursday though it is not clear whether an Apple representative will be present.
In order to decrypt the data on newer devices, the encryption key - known only to the user - would have to be entered.