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October 2009 iPhone 4 Prototype Shows Up on eBay [Update: Listing Pulled]

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As noted by 9to5Mac, an early iPhone 4 prototype has shown up on eBay running Apple's in-house diagnostics software.

iphone_4_prototype_2009.jpg



A number of high-quality photos are included with the listing, showing a complete lack of Apple branding on the exterior of the device. Most notably, the Apple logo has been replaced with a distinct logo that was previously seen in a Twitpic posting in February 2010. The standard "iPhone" text on the rear of the device has also been replaced by "Prototype", along with text noting that the device has not been approved by the Federal Communications Commission and can not be sold until such authorization is granted.

iphone_4_prototype_2009_bottom.jpg



Sonny Dickson has also provided an overview video of the device showing off several of the features of the device including the software and a lack of screws on the bottom of the device that is consistent with some of the earlier leaked prototypes.

As seen in the video, the serial number of the device indicates that it was manufactured during the 43rd week of 2009, which corresponds to late October, nearly eight months before the device was made available to the public.

The auction for the prototype currently carries a single bid of $4,500, with the seller advertising in the listing that a $10,000 offer would be acceptable to halt the auction process and simply purchase the device.

Update: The listing has been removed.

Article Link: October 2009 iPhone 4 Prototype Shows Up on eBay [Update: Listing Pulled]
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/08/22/october-2009-iphone-4-prototype-shows-up-on-ebay/
$4500?? $10,000??? Seriously? It's a crappy prototype. Shouldn't be a dime over $1,000, if that.

"There are only a few of these though"

So what? What are you going to do with it?

I guess I don't get it.
 
You don't put your branding on a prototype, just in case the prototype gets leaked or lost. You don't want to scream to all your competitors exactly what you're working on.

My mother grew up near Detroit, and says she often saw unbranded vehicles driving around. You could usually still tell which car manufacturer had made it, based on styling and such, but they were prototypes and the companies didn't want to put their hood ornament or whatever on the cars so it was easy for their competitors to see who was working on what.

Any, pretty cool logo. I'm sure Apple uses different ones all the time to switch things up.
 
AQUADock said:
Maybe to hide that it's an apple product.
Click to expand...

In that case the "Prototype" written in Myriad Pro on the back pretty much gives it away.

If it wasn't of that one could think (prior to the iPhone 4 announcement) that this is simply a phone from another vendor they have never seen.
 
Looks a lot more like the cheap Chinese knockoffs that can be had online for around 100. Why would a prototype not run the standard iOS and instead a crappy knockoff OS? Someone is about to be taken for their money.
 
OldSchoolMacGuy said:
Looks a lot more like the cheap Chinese knockoffs that can be had online for around 100. Why would a prototype not run the standard iOS and instead a crappy knockoff OS? Someone is about to be taken for their money.
Click to expand...

I don't think you understand Apple's prototype process. That UI is the development UI for hardware testing purposes...It's been well documented that early iPhone prototypes use that same basic development UI early on in the process.
 
I wonder how hard it is to modify an old iphone4 to make it look like some primitive prototype to sell on ebay for big bucks...:D
 
OldSchoolMacGuy said:
Looks a lot more like the cheap Chinese knockoffs that can be had online for around 100. Why would a prototype not run the standard iOS and instead a crappy knockoff OS? Someone is about to be taken for their money.
Click to expand...

Thats the same testing software found on early iPhone 2Gs, and is presumably used on all iPhone prototypes in the early stages.
 
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