This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/desasterpiece on 2024-09-11 21:45:29+00:00.

You guys know me—I’m obsessed with tech. I’ve been running my YouTube channel for years, testing the latest gadgets, reviewing every new release, and diving deep into the specs. If there’s a new phone, laptop, or even some weird piece of tech no one’s ever heard of, I’ve probably already taken it apart and put it back together. So when Apple sent me an iPhone 16 to review before the official launch, I was hyped.

They didn’t say much in the email. Just that I was among the first to get it and that there was a “revolutionary” feature in the camera system that they were particularly proud of. I didn’t think much of it at first. I mean, how many times can they really improve a camera, right? But when I finally got the phone in my hands, I realized they weren’t kidding.

From the outside, it looked like a slightly sleeker iPhone 15. Same general design, maybe a little slimmer, more glass. The real magic was in the camera. Apple’s big push was this new “Enhanced Night Vision Mode.” Apparently, it could capture images in near-total darkness—something to do with AI and some new sensor tech. I immediately thought of all the low-light vlogging I could do.

That night, I decided to give it a test run. I turned off every light in my apartment, leaving it completely dark except for the faint glow of the streetlights creeping through the blinds. I set the camera to night mode and started recording.

The clarity was insane. Even in the pitch black, the phone picked up everything—the details in the textures of my couch, the slight scuff marks on the floor, even the individual strands of my carpet. It was eerie how perfect it was. But as I was panning the phone around, something caught my eye.

In the corner of the room, near the hallway leading to my bedroom, there was… movement.

At first, I thought it was a glitch. Maybe some kind of artifact or reflection from the window. I panned back. There it was again. A shadow, long and thin, barely distinguishable against the wall. But the weird thing was, it wasn’t there when I looked with my own eyes.

I stared into the darkness, seeing nothing. But when I checked the phone screen again, the shadow was… shifting. It wasn’t just standing still—it was moving, slowly, almost imperceptibly, like it was swaying back and forth.

I laughed nervously, thinking it had to be some software bug. Maybe the AI was trying too hard to interpret something that wasn’t there. I kept recording, but this time, I zoomed in.

The closer I got, the clearer the figure became. It wasn’t just a shadow. It was a person. Tall, gaunt, dressed in what looked like old-fashioned clothes, the kind you’d see in photos from the 1800s. His face was pale, eyes sunken and empty.

My heart started racing. I quickly turned on the lights and pointed the phone at the corner, but there was nothing. Just an empty hallway.

I laughed again, trying to shake off the unease, but when I looked at the footage, the figure was still there. Staring at me.

I stopped recording and threw the phone on the couch. For the next hour, I tried to calm myself down, telling myself it was just some weird software glitch. Maybe it was a prank, something Apple programmed in to mess with early testers. But when I picked the phone back up, there were more of them.

In every corner of my apartment, through the phone’s camera, I could see people—figures, shadows. Some of them were just standing still, staring blankly at the walls, while others were barely visible, flickering in and out like static on an old TV.

I wiped the screen, rebooted the phone, even reset it to factory settings. But every time I opened the camera app, they were still there. And they were getting closer.

One woman, her hair matted and wet, was standing in the kitchen. She was dripping, like she had just stepped out of a river, her clothes clinging to her frail body. Her eyes were wide, almost bulging, but there was nothing inside them—just empty, black sockets.

I didn’t sleep that night. Every time I tried, I could hear them. Faint whispers, footsteps that weren’t there. And when I checked the phone, they were always closer.

By the next day, I was a wreck. My subscribers were blowing up my inbox, asking for the review, but I couldn’t bring myself to use the phone anymore. Every time I did, the figures grew more vivid, more real. I could feel their presence now, like the temperature would drop whenever I picked up the device.

I needed to get rid of it. I thought about mailing it back to Apple, but then what? They’d think I was crazy. So I decided to document it, make a video, and maybe one of my viewers would know what was happening.

I set up my camera and hit record. But just as I started talking, the screen on the iPhone 16 flickered. I grabbed it, and my heart sank.

There was a new figure in the room—standing right behind me.

I turned around, but of course, there was no one there. I looked back at the screen, and the figure—no, figures—were now all around me, closing in. Their faces, once blurry, were now clear as day. I could see every crack in their skin, every drop of water dripping from the woman’s hair, every twisted expression on their faces.

Then the phone buzzed. A notification. It was a FaceTime call, but there was no caller ID. Just a black screen. I didn’t answer. I didn’t dare.

The whispering got louder, and before I could stop myself, I answered the call. The screen was dark for a second, and then the camera switched to selfie mode.

Only, it wasn’t just me in the frame. They were there too, standing around me, their cold lifeless hands reaching toward my shoulders, their empty eyes staring straight into the lens. I screamed, dropping the phone, but the whispers kept growing louder, the room spinning, the air turning ice cold.

NY TIMES:

Local tech YouTuber Found Dead in Apparent Home Accident

[Sept 11] A popular technology YouTuber was found dead in his apartment late last night. Authorities were alerted after neighbors reported strange noises coming from the home. Upon entry, the police discovered the victim’s body in what they described as a “mangled” state, though details remain sparse.

Oddly, the victim was found clutching a prototype iPhone 16, which has yet to be officially released. Police have confirmed there was no sign of forced entry, but the cause of death remains unknown. The phone is currently being investigated as evidence.

At this time, officials have declined to comment on the cryptic footage found on the device, which is said to be “unexplainable.”