Cellebrite, the Israeli company known for helping police unlock smartphones, has acquired Corellium — a US firm that made waves by building virtual versions of iPhones. The deal, reportedly worth $200 million, brings together two of the most talked-about names in digital forensics.
Corellium’s software allows researchers to run iOS in a virtual environment, making it easier to find bugs, test exploits, and investigate security issues without needing a physical device. It's a powerful tool — and one that’s drawn attention from Apple in the past.
Apple once tried to shut Corellium down, arguing that copying its mobile operating system — even virtually — breached copyright rules and put users at risk. That legal fight didn’t go Apple’s way. A US court sided with Corellium in 2020, calling its use of iOS fair. Apple appealed and lost again, before the two firms quietly settled.
Now Corellium’s tools will be in Cellebrite’s hands. Cellebrite is already widely used by law enforcement agencies, including US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to extract data from locked phones. The two companies say they’re developing a new product called Mirror.
It’s designed to create a full digital copy of a phone that’s been seized in an investigation. Investigators would be able to explore that virtual device just like they would the original, only without the risk of damaging evidence or needing complex technical tools.
The goal, Cellebrite says, is to help police present clearer evidence in court — showing juries exactly what was on a phone at the time of an alleged crime. It could make digital forensics more accessible, both in the lab and in the courtroom.
Corellium’s co-founder, Chris Wade, is now Cellebrite’s Chief Technology Officer. He’s no stranger to controversy — having received a presidential pardon for unrelated cybercrime charges — but says the new partnership could also help track down spyware.
Using AI inside the virtual environment, the system could identify suspicious or foreign code running in the background. That may prove useful not just for criminal investigations but also for cybersecurity research.
Apple, meanwhile, has softened its stance on virtualization in recent years. It now offers official tools for developers to simulate iOS under certain conditions. But with Cellebrite and Corellium joining forces, the pressure is back on.
The challenge for Apple is no longer simply keeping outsiders from tampering with iPhones. It’s now about preventing digital copies from making physical access obsolete.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next: iOS 18 Nears Full Adoption on New Devices, Android Remains Scattered
Corellium’s software allows researchers to run iOS in a virtual environment, making it easier to find bugs, test exploits, and investigate security issues without needing a physical device. It's a powerful tool — and one that’s drawn attention from Apple in the past.
Apple once tried to shut Corellium down, arguing that copying its mobile operating system — even virtually — breached copyright rules and put users at risk. That legal fight didn’t go Apple’s way. A US court sided with Corellium in 2020, calling its use of iOS fair. Apple appealed and lost again, before the two firms quietly settled.
Now Corellium’s tools will be in Cellebrite’s hands. Cellebrite is already widely used by law enforcement agencies, including US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to extract data from locked phones. The two companies say they’re developing a new product called Mirror.
It’s designed to create a full digital copy of a phone that’s been seized in an investigation. Investigators would be able to explore that virtual device just like they would the original, only without the risk of damaging evidence or needing complex technical tools.
The goal, Cellebrite says, is to help police present clearer evidence in court — showing juries exactly what was on a phone at the time of an alleged crime. It could make digital forensics more accessible, both in the lab and in the courtroom.
Corellium’s co-founder, Chris Wade, is now Cellebrite’s Chief Technology Officer. He’s no stranger to controversy — having received a presidential pardon for unrelated cybercrime charges — but says the new partnership could also help track down spyware.
Using AI inside the virtual environment, the system could identify suspicious or foreign code running in the background. That may prove useful not just for criminal investigations but also for cybersecurity research.
Apple, meanwhile, has softened its stance on virtualization in recent years. It now offers official tools for developers to simulate iOS under certain conditions. But with Cellebrite and Corellium joining forces, the pressure is back on.
The challenge for Apple is no longer simply keeping outsiders from tampering with iPhones. It’s now about preventing digital copies from making physical access obsolete.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next: iOS 18 Nears Full Adoption on New Devices, Android Remains Scattered