Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in

iPhone 4G/HD Possibly Discovered on Bar Floor

By - Source: Tom's Guide US | B 68 comments

Apple lost a prototype iPhone.

A fairly strange story developed over the weekend. A strange smartphone was found on the floor of a San Jose bar inside an iPhone 3G case – but inside the case was not an iPhone 3G. It was a phone that had iPhone-like characteristics, but it wasn't any iPhone currently out in the public.

Engadget managed to get some hands-on time with the device and found it to have a front-facing camera, 80GB of storage and an OS that was "decidedly new."

After some more digging, Engadget found evidence that suggest that this 'found' phone might actually be a legitimate prototype. A similar looking device was photographed in a supposed leaked picture from inside an Apple test lab. At the time, all eyes were on the large-screened device as the hype on the iPad was at an all-time-high, so no one noticed the oddly-shaped iPhone.

Daring Fireball has chimed in too, theorizing that it could be the real thing sporting a ceramic enclosure that can be smooth like glass, but far stronger, more scratch resistant, and most importantly, radio transparent.

Now Gizmodo has gone hands-on, and even disassembled the supposed new iPhone. They believe that it's the real deal.

While we won't know if this is the real thing until Apple shows off the next iPhone this summer, this one discovery is both the most surprising and solid we've had yet.

Discuss
Ask a Category Expert

Create a new thread in the Streaming Video & TVs forum about this subject

Example: Notebook, Android, SSD hard drive

This thread is closed for comments
Top Comments
  • 38 Hide
    tsnorquist , April 19, 2010 3:23 PM
    Why do I get the feeling someone's severed head will be sitting on Steve Jobs desk.
  • 32 Hide
    mman74 , April 19, 2010 3:25 PM
    I am sure the 80GB is just for the prototype. Whoever left this might need to look for a new job though.
  • 26 Hide
    ravicai , April 19, 2010 3:23 PM
    ... haha, I wonder if the original owner is reading this going "What the?!?!"
Other Comments
    Display all 68 comments.
  • 26 Hide
    ravicai , April 19, 2010 3:23 PM
    ... haha, I wonder if the original owner is reading this going "What the?!?!"
  • 38 Hide
    tsnorquist , April 19, 2010 3:23 PM
    Why do I get the feeling someone's severed head will be sitting on Steve Jobs desk.
  • 32 Hide
    mman74 , April 19, 2010 3:25 PM
    I am sure the 80GB is just for the prototype. Whoever left this might need to look for a new job though.
  • -6 Hide
    Ragnar-Kon , April 19, 2010 3:26 PM
    You'd think they found a pot of gold or something.

    And hopefully the person that dropped the phone will keep their job, even if they do work for Apple.
  • 26 Hide
    buddhav1 , April 19, 2010 3:27 PM
    meanwhile in other news, the Droid is still just hanging out being the superior smartphone.
  • 6 Hide
    warezme , April 19, 2010 3:27 PM
    I dunno, there are a lot of Chinese manufactured iphone knockoffs that are very good but if it has a ceramic enclosure I would tend to believe it is legit.
  • 12 Hide
    mkyam , April 19, 2010 3:29 PM
    Possibly intentionally dropped by Apple so the hype can begin boiling towards the release of the iPhone HD. Anyway, not excited.
  • 11 Hide
    jamie_macdonald , April 19, 2010 3:30 PM
    probably purposely "dropped" to add hype, seems to work with TH .. they will allways pick up on anything apple lol.
  • 2 Hide
    babybeluga , April 19, 2010 3:31 PM
    I'm thinking that the person (an Apple employee) got paid off to 'lose' this device for somebody to conveniently 'find'. What are the odds of one lost phone making its way to tech sites so soon? Seems like Apple has a leak to stop.
  • 0 Hide
    bipolargraph , April 19, 2010 3:33 PM
    The most expensive iPad has 64 gigs of storage, and this thing has 80?
    I'm guessing they won't make much of these, probably a special edition or something.
  • 0 Hide
    zoemayne , April 19, 2010 3:34 PM
    looks real apple will probably send gizmo a cease and desist
  • 3 Hide
    gpace , April 19, 2010 3:35 PM
    It's either purposely "dropped" to create more hype (as evident here), or the person who dropped it is fired or worse.

    Anyone else find the shape and ports out of the norm for Apple?
  • 0 Hide
    descendency , April 19, 2010 3:35 PM
    It'd be hilarious if someone dropped it on purpose to get fanboys to chase the rabbit.
  • 2 Hide
    jamie_macdonald , April 19, 2010 3:36 PM
    DoofusOfDeathI'm a very tech-oriented guy living in the U.S., but I've never owned a cell phone. It seems in general like they offer very little benefit, compared to the cost and compared to the frustrations people have with billing and with whatever app store is associated with their brand of phone.So when I see people getting outright frantic about a new Apple phone, I'm doubly mystified.Would someone please explain to me what makes cell phones such a big deal as to garner this level of interest?


    If i could i would lol ... I have an N97, good phone .. does more that a phone typically does ... but it as the iphone ... is hardly newsworthy!
    I suppose that's why forced and fashion hype is the only way to get this publicity .. seems to work tho eh ... everywhere you go . .relentless applecrap ... good job there are far less people buying them than there are talking about them or we would be doomed!
  • 0 Hide
    babybeluga , April 19, 2010 3:37 PM
    DoofusOfDeathI'm a very tech-oriented guy living in the U.S., but I've never owned a cell phone. It seems in general like they offer very little benefit, compared to the cost and compared to the frustrations people have with billing and with whatever app store is associated with their brand of phone.


    You know there are cell phones out there that have nothing to do with buying apps? I've never owned a smartphone nor bought anything for my cell phone, but I can see the appeal (going to college, I see a lot of people who play with their phones instead of having real world interaction. I've done it! Tetris demo ftw!). I don't see how you could be employed without having a cell phone in all honesty.
  • 0 Hide
    rhino13 , April 19, 2010 3:38 PM
    All I'm thinking is this is a corprate spy op.

    No way somebody's just carrying around the next iPhoney, and then just decides: "Oh, since I have this with me, maybe I should take it to the bar!"
  • 0 Hide
    commandersozo , April 19, 2010 3:41 PM
    Either it was an intentional leak, or some poor soul is going to be committing "ritual suicide" pretty soon. :( 
  • 5 Hide
    skiprofmtu , April 19, 2010 3:41 PM
    What surprises me the most is the fact that whoever found it didn't bother to try and get in touch with the owner to give their phone back. Instead they took it apart to see what was inside?
Display more comments
Tom’s guide in the world
  • Germany
  • France
  • Italy
  • Ireland
  • UK
Follow Tom’s guide
Subscribe to our newsletter
  • add to twitter
  • add to facebook
  • ajouter un flux RSS
Browns