Apple Demands Prototype iPhone Back

[ReallyOldGuy]

it's time to give it a rest

What do we know for sure?

FACTS:
GIZ acquired, from an unknown and questionable source, a piece of equipment that they assumed, and was later proven to, belong to Apple.

They purchased it for $5000 from an undisclosed source (that was able to identify Gray).

They published pictures of it, and disassembled it, after having it in their possession about 30 days.

GIZ admitted all the above.

Apple asked for the return of their property.

GIZ agreed and admitted, again, that they knew it belonged to Apple.

Anything else is speculation or, even more ludicrous, assumption.

HOWEVER, i'm going to step out on a limb and say, again, "there is no way that Apple, or anyone affiliated with the company, engineered a "controlled leak" that would create National News on the day they were releasing quarterly earning."

 

[ct2k7]

No offence taken!

If it is a fake statement, there's something rather funny about a Gizmodo employee drafting a first-person account of this down-trodden Applecare worker. Sitting in his cubicle - bemoaning his lack of strategic insight.

One does wonder how Gizmodo tracked down the very phone operator who took the fateful call!

C.

Yep - that person who did write the statement, if an AppleCare rep, might have just put his job up for sale. AppleCare calls are recorded.

 

[Reed Rothchild]

Apple could blow the "fake letter" and other such sundries apart by coming out and stating that. They won't because everything Gizmodo has reported on is true. Apple will chalk this one up for experience, realise that the storm in the teacup had a short term boost to their share prices, and bask in the glow of an unknown number of geeks like us salivating over their next soon to be outdated gadget. And that is that .

 

[ct2k7]

Apple could blow the "fake letter" and other such sundries apart by coming out and stating that. They won't because everything Gizmodo has reported on is true. Apple will chalk this one up for experience, realise that the storm in the teacup had a short term boost to their share prices, and bask in the glow of an unknown number of geeks like us salivating over their next soon to be outdated gadget. And that is that .

Ok, if you say so. If it turns out not to be true, I'm coming.... coming after you.

 

[freelancing]

Yep - that person who did write the statement, if an AppleCare rep, might have just put his job up for sale. AppleCare calls are recorded.

It does seem weird that the guy is a Tier 2 AppleCare rep. Why would he be the one to get this call. The guy who steals (uh - you know -'finds') the iPhone knows to sell it to Gizmodo, but they can't Google Apple Corporate's number - they instead call AppleCare. Pulllease.

 

[ct2k7]

It does seem weird that the guy is a Tier 2 AppleCare rep. Why would he be the one to get this call. The guy who steals (uh - you know -'finds') the iPhone knows to sell it to Gizmodo, but they can't Google Apple Corporate's number - they instead call AppleCare. Pulllease.

Hang on, direct numbers to Tier 2. That's not public is it? or maybe support center was REALLLLLY busy.

 

[Reed Rothchild]

Ok, if you say so. If it turns out not to be true, I'm coming.... coming after you.

I hope that's a promise and not a threat .

 

[ct2k7]

I hope that's a promise and not a threat .

Definately a promise. For me to threaten, I'd be at Level 3 in Anger.

 

[McGiord]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2010-04-20-iphone_N.htm

 

[RawBert]

This was ALL planed by Steve Jobs. It's only one part of his evil, evil master plan.

 

[freelancing]

Hang on, direct numbers to Tier 2. That's not public is it? or maybe support center was REALLLLLY busy.

I can see, in theory, some idiot calling AppleCare saying they needed iPhone support via the automated system, then they get some poor newbie in Bangalore answering the phone. The idiot says, "dude, I just found what I think is a prototype iPhone that belongs to Apple." Newbie replies, "I'm sorry, I do not understand. Can you please repeat?" This volleys back and forth until the Newbie Tier 1 decides to escalate this to Tier 2, knowing (hoping) someone in Tier 2 will know better what the idiot is blathering about.

That notwithstanding - if you know you've got something that you can sell to Gizmodo, you're smart enough to not call AppleCare in an attempt to legitimately turn it in .... unless this was the plan, to 'innocently' call Apple via this number, assuming AppleCare would know nothing about it.

With Gizmodo behind this, there is no telling how much truth is involved. Probably very little.

 

[Maserati7200]

I'm hoping that this is just a prototype and not actually the pre production iPhone. Because I REALLY hate that design. I liked that picture where it looked like the unibody macbook pros/ipad, the curved matte Aluminum finish.

 

[ct2k7]

I can see, in theory, some idiot calling AppleCare saying they needed iPhone support via the automated system, then they get some poor newbie in Bangalore answering the phone. The idiot says, "dude, I just found what I think is a prototype iPhone that belongs to Apple." Newbie replies, "I'm sorry, I do not understand. Can you please repeat?" This volleys back and forth until the Newbie Tier 1 decides to escalate this to Tier 2, knowing (hoping) someone in Tier 2 will know better what the idiot is blathering about.

That notwithstanding - if you know you've got something that you can sell to Gizmodo, you're smart enough to not call AppleCare in an attempt to legitimately turn it in .... unless this was the plan, to 'innocently' call Apple via this number, assuming AppleCare would know nothing about it.

With Gizmodo behind this, there is no telling how much truth is involved. Probably very little.

Ah. I haven't that much experience with AppleCare, since I usually ask for the other option. I've only used it once.

 

[wikd1]

Do you really think anyone on a rumour site can answer that question?

My question was rhetorical. Just pointing out that it's hard to separate fact from fiction sometimes when it comes to MAC RUMORS (the literal kind.)

 

[marksman]

Shocking that Kern would be be defending someone stealing apple's property and then trying to sell it to a slimeball website.

 

[Stewie86]

I have a question hopefully a lot of people can answer based on speculation: Do you guys think this proto is too far in progress for Apple to scrap the entire idea? Or is there a chance this is the hardware we will be getting in June/July? If so, what is your percentage prediction?

BTW, I like the design.

 

[pdjudd]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2010-04-20-iphone_N.htm

THis line is a bit troubling:

The phone eventually ended up at Gizmodo, which paid $5,000 to the person who found it, in Chen's words "to do the due diligence to make sure it was real."

So if they authenticated it before they bought it, they (in my mind) must have known that it did not belong to the finder and he had no legal right to sell it. Either that or they had some inkling that they knew that it was not kosher to buy.

If they did due diligence, they should have contacted Apple inquiring them about an offer about a product that is possibly stolen.

 

[1Zach1]

Do you guys think this proto is too far in progress for Apple to scrap the entire idea? Or is there a chance this is the hardware we will be getting in June/July? If so, what is your percentage prediction?

So either we will see this, or we will see this?
I think we will see something very similar to this, just refined a bit.

 

[Thex1138]

FWIW; The phone on the iPad is likely in the now revealed camouflage case...

 

[admanimal]

Gizmodo is getting really obnoxious with their milking of this story. Their latest story is basically "Why didn't anybody talk about us during the earnings report?"

Oh and let's not forget about the breaking news earlier today that they discovered via Twitter than Gray lost the phone on his birthday.

You can just sense the smug look on their faces, even though all they did was got lucky and bought a story.

 

[noah82]

I seriously doubt that apple will get it back since it is in tons of pieces now.

 

[calsci]

I figured this would happen sooner or later

 

[zacman]

IMHO Apple first has to prove that it really belongs to them. I'm sure they can hand over some technical documents to Gizmodo that show that they built that phone. Just because Apple wants it doesn't mean that it belongs to them. They might just want to know what's inside that fake chinese phone.

If I was Gizmodo I'd ask for some proof.

 

[emlarsen]

I think somebody is getting fired for this one. Apple is so tight knit on it's prototypes before the release of it's devices that it's hard to believe there will not be repercussions for it.

 

[troop231]

I seriously doubt that apple will get it back since it is in tons of pieces now.

Wrong, they put it back together as stated and they have returned it back to Apple already they've said.