Apple Lose Another iPhone Prototype! Post by: CK 22 April, 2010 - 9:52 AM

Another 4th generation iPhone prototype has turned up in Vietnam.

During the video the phone is never turned on fuelling speculation that this one is a fake. Apart from a couple of screws missing from the bottom the unit looks pretty much identical to the one gizmodo.com received after being left on a barstool by a bloke in a bar. You can see photos of that one here:

 

(Photos: gizmodo.com)

If the loss of the phone and subsequent sale to Gizmodo of the next generation iPhone is all a carefully orchestrated publicity stunt it's a bloody brilliant one.

Both Gizmodo and Apple have gained huge international exposure including The Today Show, Good Morning America, The View, CNN and BBC. The best part, not counting the 5 grand Gizmodo reportedly shelled out for the for the thing in the first place, is that all this publicity has been for free.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs is rumoured to personally monitor who has access to unreleased devices and Apple's secrecy around new releases is legendary. Could it really have just been left on a barstool by a bloke at a bar?

If it was a pulicity stunt, well played! If not it seems to have been a win win for both Apple and Gizmodo. Leaving a very sheepish Apple engineer and supplying us with one of the most famous "a guy walked into a bar" stories ever.

Glossed over in all the hype though are some of the reported new features like the front facing video camera, flash and larger battery.

What features would you like to see in the new iPhone? Is this latest loss a pulicity stunt or a fake?

 

Leave your comment

• Robin Kittle says

  I would hope the new prototype would find my car keys for me!

  Posted Friday 23 April, 2010 3:11 PM
• Alasdair says

  How about a "Teleporter" to get out of a sticky situation.

  Posted Monday 3 May, 2010 8:13 AM
• Beth Wallington says

  Should have more security so people can't steal it! Mine got stolen last week and I am very displeased! I dont kno how they could add more security but i just miss my baby dearly :(

  Posted Monday 3 May, 2010 3:21 PM
• Becko says

  Sounds like another publicity stunt! It worked - I want it!

  Posted Thursday 13 May, 2010 9:43 AM