The big tech news today is that Apple’s next generation iPhone has been revealed, but not in a way befitting of the iPhone and Apple's status. And while the official story (so far) is that the prototype iPhone just happened to be found in a bar, supposedly after the entrusted owner left it behind, some people are questioning the whole ordeal. Like ShaggyMetalHead:
“It might just be a marketing ploy to raise hype for the phone. It will get alot more of a response if there is a ‘lost phone recovered’ by some random person than Apple just releasing a press statement with the specs. Consumers feel as if they got one by on Apple by thinking that they got the information by luck.”
This thought crossed my mind as well (I especially like the idea that it would make people feel like they “got one by on Apple”), but then I realized that Apple doesn’t need any help from a fake controversy to get people’s attention, especially when it comes to something like the next generation iPhone. Having said that, I have zero connections to the situation, so I could be totally wrong. What do you think?
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Buzzerker74
its b.s.
PopReference
Oh yeah iphone, that shats srys...
(just bumping spam)
vismortis
This is way out there for apple. I know they have lost prototypes before (and people died over it) so someone leaing a prototype is not that far out there. What is out there is the fact that Gizmodo got it. I know if i found a apple prototype that i would keep the thing (a free ipod and its unique) not give it away.
ShaggyMetalHead
Granted Apple doen't need to pull something like this, but what draws more attention as a headline?
Apple reveals prototype for next generation iPhone or Apple iPhone prototype is found in bar.
ixquiz
if it was a marketing ploy, then its working, if not, well its still working
worm-
Call it bs. When it's finally released by verizon, make sure you come back and read what I said.
Shaddy
As long as the next iphone has the ability to use add on micro sd cards and can view flash on the internet then i'll say it's a buy but if not then forget about it makes no sense to get something that you have to pay for something every time you try to interact with it( a better option I just bought a Itouch and use my blackberry as a wifi hot spot for the itouch). I rather stick with my blackberry and use it to call a slutty girl that knows whats she's doing than be screwed around with by stock holders Steve jobs is trying to please with the money behind my ass. Kinda like way back in the day when IBM was God and they were going to bring out a 32/64 bit operating system the same time Microsoft wanted to come out with it's horrid 16/32 OS(lol we could of had windows 7 back in 1995 but consumers are rarely concerned activists in the markets they shop in). But IBM sold out for lucrative stock options in Microsoft which introduced their windows OS system that was straight garbage and still is. Which is why they are like darpa only doing it for the money so sad oh well, hope people like the choices they don't get when your paying for it.
worm-
That is a cool prototype, but I can promise you that is not the final version of the Apple 4G that is coming to Verizon Wireless. My wife is a Verizon employee at a call center, and has already gotten to "play" and do training on the Iphone for Verizon.
Oh yeah, and the Verizon version has a removeable battery. Seems to have been one of the initial stipulations when the iphone that was first released but apple and verizon couldn't come to an agreement on until now.
andrew019
If you look at the new Dr.pepper commercial about ironman it gives a quick glimps of the new iphone
http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=7BT1eCqzJI0
I dont now if it is a prototype but it looks real in the commercial
ProjektX13
What a coincidence it fell right in the hands of GIZMONDO
Fullarr
It's really suspicious that Gizmodo got their hands on it so quickly. The likelihood of random civillian A finding the ONLY lost prototype of the next gen iPhone and giving it to Gizmodo, one of the most reputable gadget sources on the internet, seems remote at best.
What doesn't match up is that this tactic doesn't seem like something Apple would do, or like a good idea for successful marketing. It's the conflict of reason on both sides that makes it confusing.
Because of the lack of clarity, I guess we have no choice but to assume it is a legitimate accident with no planning involved, and Gizmodo either got lucky, or came up first in a google search.
rGrayMiller
"but then I realized that Apple doesn t need any help from a fake controversy to get people s attention, especially when it comes to something like the next generation iPhone."
Absolutely correct, and the claim that a "lost phone recovered by some random person" would "get alot more of a response" is pretty arguable. Still in doubt? Just look at their track record, Apple (i.e Jobs) just doesn't operate that way because again, like you say, they just don't need to.
But whatever, people gotta up their conspiracy cred somehow nowadays...
guybrushthreepwood
I don't think apple meant to loose this one. They have already put out a request to have it returned.
JustTheBeginning
I think it is genuine. Especially since it was found with its fake "case" to make it look like a 3GS. If it was planted, why didn't they lock the FW from the start? I read the original finder got to play with FW 4.0 until apple noticed and remotely locked it down.
Unless Steve Jobs is a true evil genius and thought of all that before hand.
BlackLabv13
I'm skeptical about the whole situation. If an Apple employee really lost a critical prototype like that, someone would probably lost their job, and Apple would likely hang whoever had the bright idea of keeping it for a week to TEAR APART and post on the internet. Unless there currently is a brigade of Apple laywers on the Gizmodo editor's doorstep crying out for blood (and money).
Aldowyn
Go check to see if the guy who supposedly left it at the bar got fired. If he did, it wasn't staged. If he didn't, it was. Easy!
Seriously, Apple doesn't really need to do that, people will obsess over it anyway.
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