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Apple would be wise to entice potential buyers now, since if customers purchase a competitors phone, they'll likely be out of the market for a year or more. By letting this info out now, it makes anyone teetering on the edge of buying a new smart phone to hold off and wait for the new iphone.

EXACTLY, and I happen to be one of those people lol. ;)
 
I'm thinking right about now S. J. is more than a little unhappy. ;)

I'd like to see their official response, if they ever give one. I could just imagine what's happening right now over at Apple Headquarters.
 
Internal Details

Gizmodo's reporting here seems to be lacking... they tore this thing down, yet provide no details at all other than a larger battery? Here are some questions:

What chips were in there? Any markings? A4?
Was there a digitizer or any cabling attached to the back of the phone? If not, this would rule out gesture support on the back of the phone.
 
I've been following the news all weekend and this morning. I think the design is quite sexy and would love one.. unfortunately, I bought the 3GS as my first iPhone last year and doubt i'm going to be able to update... Damn you technology and my desire to play...
 
Just imagine, that this phone was dropped in purpose by Apple, in order to check public opinion concerning new 4G phone. They will read all these opinions and will fix all things, that forum readers don't like.
 
Looks like I might be half right! :D

A Chinese engineer committed suicide after he was allegedly roughed-up by company security services when one of the iPhone 4G prototypes entrusted into his care went missing.

Twenty-five-year-old Sun Danyong, a recent engineering graduate, was employed by Foxconn, manufacturer of Apple's iPhone and iPods. According to reports from China Radio International (Google translation), VentureBeat, and others, Sun leapt to his death from the 12th floor of his apartment building on July 16th, a few days after the iPhone 4G prototype disappeared.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/21/fixconn_suicide/

Note the word "allegedly" in that article - that story has never been confirmed in it's entirety.
 
Occam's Razor

If it's a prototype, then the buttons could simply be something they had sitting in the lab, and not representative of what the actual shipping product's buttons would look like. Actually, the same could be said for pretty much anything to do with the outer shell. Crudely made, not finalized, maybe even intentionally different to make it easier for testing.

And I like the conspiracy theory talk. Maybe Apple intentionally took a prototype, wiped its firmware, and then "accidentally" left it in a bar, knowing full well that the rumour sites would get their hands on it...

The simplest explanation is that it *is* a prototype of the new iPhone, and that it *was* accidentally left in a bar.
 
Looks like I might be half right! :D

A Chinese engineer committed suicide after he was allegedly roughed-up by company security services when one of the iPhone 4G prototypes entrusted into his care went missing.

Twenty-five-year-old Sun Danyong, a recent engineering graduate, was employed by Foxconn, manufacturer of Apple's iPhone and iPods. According to reports from China Radio International (Google translation), VentureBeat, and others, Sun leapt to his death from the 12th floor of his apartment building on July 16th, a few days after the iPhone 4G prototype disappeared.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/21/fixconn_suicide/

So a guy lost the phone a year ago, and we only just get word of it today? Sounds reasonable...
 
Gizmodo says the logic is board is much smaller, but does not mention the chips they found inside. CPU/GPU, cell transceiver, WiFi, GPS... I wonder what is new in that area. WiFi at 5GHz, there goes the clean spectrum at 5GHz :) ? Which company is supplying the cell phone transceiver and processor? Are they using iPad style custom CPU or off-the-shelf parts? etc. etc. If none of these details are available, it is quite possible Gizmodo is withholding that info to stay on Apple's good graces or maybe this leak was "intentional" on Apple's part anyways.

Yes! Good points. If GIZMODO was able to open this device up, why did not they report any internal characteristics. Also they say they do not know the size of the flash, but I am sure an internal flash component will report its size on the part.

Also I am surprised that reported screen is smaller than iPhone 3GS?
 
I've been following the news all weekend and this morning. I think the design is quite sexy and would love one.. unfortunately, I bought the 3GS as my first iPhone last year and doubt i'm going to be able to update... Damn you technology and my desire to play...

AT&T has let me upgrade EACH YEAR to the new phone as long as i re-upped my contract
 
I hope this isn't real. I like everything about it, but I was hoping for a 4.3" screen.

Were you really hoping for that, though? Its reasonable to expect that with all the apps currently out there, Apple would not change the aspect ratio if making a larger screen. Thus, a 4.3" screen would make the iPhone way to wide (lenght shouldt be a problem with all that bezel at the top and bottom) for a phone to carry in your pocket.

That said, I were hoping for a larger screen myself. What is the current one, 3.5"? 3.7" seems reasonable, and could probably be squeezed in without having to make the iPhone wider.

To actually make the screen smaller, (Gizmodos words) even if just by a little, seems very, very strange to me. But I guess I have to believe it at this point.
 
Steve: So, Tim, it looks like we still have a large inventory of 3G and 3Gs iPhones. We need a way of clearing them out before the June launch.

Tim Cook: No problem, Jonny, can you make a really ugly looking temporary casing? We'll put some of the new stuff in there and leave it in San Jose for the rumor mill to spin it. This will throw off people waiting for the new iPhone and they will buy the current iPhones.

Jonny Ive: No problem. I see what you're getting at Tim, we'll make a magical, beautiful device, but make it not so beautiful that it makes people want the current one instead. Bloody brilliant mate.

Phil Schiller: And we can put a 80GB SSD in there to throw people off.

Steve: Make it so.

And thus, the iPhone 3G and 3Gs were sold like hot cakes from April through June.

This.
 
So a guy lost the phone a year ago, and we only just get word of it today? Sounds reasonable...
That story was from over a year ago - people assumed it was gospel truth from the get go. Since then, we haven't learned anything that says that the suicide was anything beyond the stresses related to loosing a prototype. Stress related suicide is not uncommon in China unfortunately.
 
Yes! Good points. If GIZMODO was able to open this device up, why did not they report any internal characteristics. Also they say they do not know the size of the flash, but I am sure an internal flash component will report its size on the part.

Also I am surprised that reported screen is smaller than iPhone 3GS?

My thoughts exactly. There's more to this story that Gizmodo and Engadget aren't telling us..... or it's just inept reporting.
 
Lets see!

Lets see a picture of the back so we can see this "significantly" larger camera lens and the flash!
 
A survey shows that in April more people plan to buy a new Android phone than an iPhone within 3 months. And a few days later Apple loses the iPhone HD prototype. What a strange coincidence....
 
Just imagine, that this phone was dropped in purpose by Apple, in order to check public opinion concerning new 4G phone. They will read all these opinions and will fix all things, that forum readers don't like.

Sorry to burst your bubble, I do not think Apple base their design choices on bunch of geeky fan boys (well me included!) on this or other forums
 
Bulky? The 3GS is much more bulky than the new one. Look at the comparison

500x_comp3.jpg

The 3GS looks so fat and bulky! I really like how sleek this "new" one is!
 
Okay, someone explain the microSIM slot to me. What purpose does it serve? Doesn't the current iPhone have that slot? Why would we want to swap SIMS? Will the iPhone be unlocked?
The micro-SIM card is identical to the mini-SIM card minus some plastic (1 cm length, 3 mm width). The card thickness is the same. There is no additional functionality gains, just some space savings.

The current iPhone has a mini-SIM slot, just like typical GSM phones.

The most typical reason to swap SIMs is to use different carriers (e.g., when traveling abroad).

Carrier locking is based on the market. There are some places where carrier locking is illegal (I believe Belgium is one example). Current and previous iPhones in the United States have all been locked to AT&T, the exclusive carrier.
 
Intercepted email to Larry Ellison

to: larry@oracle.com

Larry,

Do you remember that time at your house when I said that there would come a day when I would let you dress up in all your samurai gear and lop someone's head off in my office?

That day is today.

Have a tatami mat here, but we need one of those rice paper screens for the authentic touch. Can you bring one? I'd like it if you use that 16th century sword with the purple handle wrap.

See you at 1 Infinite around 3? You can land in the parking lot behind Building 4.

Steve

Sent from my iPhone
 
Steve: So, Tim, it looks like we still have a large inventory of 3G and 3Gs iPhones. We need a way of clearing them out before the June launch.

Tim Cook: No problem, Jonny, can you make a really ugly looking temporary casing? We'll put some of the new stuff in there and leave it in San Jose for the rumor mill to spin it. This will throw off people waiting for the new iPhone and they will buy the current iPhones.

Jonny Ive: No problem. I see what you're getting at Tim, we'll make a magical, beautiful device, but make it not so beautiful that it makes people want the current one instead. Bloody brilliant mate.

Phil Schiller: And we can put a 80GB SSD in there to throw people off.

Steve: Make it so.

And thus, the iPhone 3G and 3Gs were sold like hot cakes from April through June.

Haha!! Best Post Ever!!! :D
 
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