As you know, we’ve been pretty dismissive of traffic-hungry sites trotting out endless fact-lite iPhone stories based on the flimsiest of evidence, but Gizmodo’s claim to have bagged Apple’s next gen iPhone seems pretty damn credible to our jaded eyes.
The story doesn’t start off well, with the site claiming that the phone was ‘found in a bar’ (we’ve heard that one before!), but the subsequent stream of photos and hands-on video are doing a pretty good job of convincing even the toughest cynics – and that includes us.
Well finished
The phone certainly looks way past the ‘rough prototype’ stage, and seems to be the finished item, sporting an industrial look more akin to an Android phone or a flattened MacBook Pro.
Apple has reportedly admitted that a prototype handset has gone missing and, not surprisingly, the phone was remotely killed not long after the loss (or theft, according to Daring Fireball) was discovered.
If it is the new iPhone, then we are liking the new look, even if the 4G handset isn’t as distinctive as the original iPhone handset.
Update – Gizmodo ‘outs’ their source
Nick Denton, head of Gawker Media (which publishes Gizmodo) has admitted to paying $5,000 for access to the smartphone.
Their story has now collected over 10 million views.
The site has also posted up a picture of the Apple guy who lost the phone. Apparently it happened weeks ago.
We’re finding this public naming and shaming a little bit distasteful to be honest. Why post the guy’s picture up?
Ch-ch-changes
Before they embarked on a mission to humiliate the Apple engineer, Gizmodo posted up more relevant information is the shape of what’s new and what’s changed with the new handset:
What’s new
• Front-facing video chat camera
• Improved regular back-camera (the lens is quite noticeably larger than the iPhone 3GS)
• Camera flash
• Micro-SIM instead of standard SIM (like the iPad)
• Improved display. It’s unclear if it’s the 960×460 display thrown around before—it certainly looks like it, with the “Connect to iTunes” screen displaying much higher resolution than on a 3GS.
• What looks to be a secondary mic for noise cancellation, at the top, next to the headphone jack
• Split buttons for volume
• Power, mute, and volume buttons are all metallicWhat’s changed
• The back is entirely flat, made of either glass (more likely) or ceramic or shiny plastic in order for the cell signal to poke through. Tapping on the back makes a more hollow and higher pitched sound compared to tapping on the glass on the front/screen, but that could just be the orientation of components inside making for a different sound
• An aluminum border going completely around the outside
• Slightly smaller screen than the 3GS (but seemingly higher resolution)
• Everything is more squared off
• 3 grams heavier
• 16% Larger battery
• Internals components are shrunken, miniaturized and reduced to make room for the larger battery
[Gizmodo]
It’s the real thing. Almost definitely!
We’re pretty much convinced that this is the real thing – and if it is, are you impressed?
Will this be enough of an upgrade to make you upgrade your 3Gs or reconsider that shiny HTC Desire or Droid Incredible?
So it seems that Gizmodo may have paid $10,000 for the found/stolen handset but here’s a curious thing: why haven’t Apple slammed them down already with a take down notice?
http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/19/iphone-hd-4g/
Something smells real fishy about this. The phone was found in a bar and Apple just sits back while Gizmodo carries on leaking their biggest secret all over the web?
It’s either an inside job or a fake.