Leaks happen, and sometimes it’s not entirely by accident. It should come as no surprise to anyone to hear that some leaks are meant to happen, especially the closer you get to a device’s announcement. Now, some are obvious and others not so much, and we’re not here to discern which is which. Let’s just get down to the point of a leak, whether it’s orchestrated or not:

Results.

Let’s look at it from the accidental side, first. Every company, even Apple, knows that a leak is going to happen, at some point in time or another. It’s practically inevitable. And, even if the leaks aren’t images, or out in the wild shots, the information is going to get out in one way or another. And, when it happens, it’s all about looking at the reactions. There are people that work for these companies that their sole job is to go over the internet, scour the message boards and comment threads that are linked to stories focused on the leaked information and/or images, and gauge the response.

If you’re far enough out from an announcement, what’s gleaned from the mob of the internet can sometimes be used to make some changes in the product that just leaked. It might not happen often, especially considering many leaks happen the closer you get to launch, but there’s at least the option. Beyond that, though, there is also the marketing curve, which can be tweaked just a bit based on how the internet reacts to a feature or design decision.

Now, the coordinated leak has two potential reasons for happening. The first is to drum up interest in an upcoming handset, to get the ball rolling and the people talking. A tease from a company can get the job done, sure, but a leak tends to lead to more back-and-forth. And companies obviously want people to be talking about their devices, even before they’re announced.

The second, depending on when the leak happens, can be used to actually throw people off a particular scent. This one’s remarkably rare, but we actually potentially saw it happen with the upcoming HTC One (M9). Of course, who knows, right?

Leaks are important, especially for consumers that are weighing options for their net smartphone purchase. They can build up a device, and, if you watch the Rumor Mill, you can probably guess which device you want versus any other that’s leaking at the same time.

So my question to you is straightforward enough: Have the leaks of the Galaxy S6, or the Galaxy S6 Edge, swayed you to make that your next smartphone? Let me know!