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Apple Refutes Hacker's Claim He Could Break iPhone Passcode Limit (cnet.com)
A security researcher claimed he had figured out a way to bypass the passcode lock limit on an iPhone or iPad, ZDNet reported. But it turned out the passcodes he tested weren't always counted. From a report: "The recent report about a passcode bypass on iPhone was in error, and a result of incorrect testing," Apple said Saturday in an emailed statement. Since the 2014 release of iOS 8, all iPhones and iPads have come with device encryption protected by a four- or six-digit passcode. If the wrong passcode is entered too many times, the device gets wiped, explained ZDNet's Zack Whittaker. But Hacker House co-founder Matthew Hickey figured out a way "to bypass the 10-time limit and enter as many codes as he wants -- even on iOS 11.3," Whittaker wrote.
What an unclear story. At first read, it sounds like Apple is saying "well, it's just that some of them don't get counted, so neener neener", which is, er, exactly what the guy was alleging.
If I understand the clarifications, what Apple meant was that some of them don't get used at all (to try to unlock the device).