Rumor Patrol: Is Apple Really behind the Lost iPhone 4G?

April 20, 2010 - By Justin E. Gehrke

On Saturday, April 17, 2010, Endgadget published a post entitled iPhone 4G: Is this it? In addition to including some intriguing photos of the device, they stated the iPhone-esque device had been found, in an iPhone 3G case, on a stool in a San Jose bar. For the next 36 hours, the link to the photos was shared via millions of tweets, Diggs, shares, and emails. Engadget was clear in their message. They could neither confirm or deny if it was really an iPhone.

Then, on Monday, April 19, 2010, Gizmodo, the online Mecca for gadget junkies, revealed to the world, in the post This is Apple’s Next iPhone, that the device reported by Engadget was, indeed, an authentic iPhone 4G. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that Gizmodo’s Nick Denton has, in the past, made it perfectly clear that he and his company, Gawker Media (the parent company of Gizmodo), are not above paying good money for prototypes of yet-to-be-released gadgets.

Many people wonder how the device Engadget posted pictures of ended up in the hand’s of Gizmodo’s Jason Chen. Then, of course, there is the big question. From where did this smartphone really come in the first place?

Sick of tired, old iPhone 4G rumors? Cook up a fresh one yourself!

While several tech websites have already suggested that Gizmodo scrambled to obtain the iPhone 4G (if that is indeed what it is) for its own testing and publicity purposes, there exists no solid evidence to confirm such an allegation…at this point, anyway. What is certain is that the now, non-working device, which includes a front-facing camera, a camera flash, Micro-SIM, and is much more square in its design, does appear to be an iPhone of some kind. The dead giveaway for most people is the Apple logo and iPhone name, on the back of the device.

The question that really begs to be answered, though, is, if, in fact, it is (or was) a prototype iPhone 4G. To this end, several sources have reported that Apple was looking for a lost prototype. Obviously, Apple has remained silent on the subject, up to this point. If their past record is any indication, they won’t soon confess to anything. The only action that may be seen from Apple is the legal type, if they consider the device published by Gizmodo to be stolen, proprietary property.

That last tidbit leads us to the main point of this article. From where did this phone magically appear? According to reports Gray Powell is the unfortunate Apple employee who happened to innocently leave his iPhone 4G on the stool. Nowhere between the bar and his house did he realize he forgot his top secret phone. It is possible, but it is not very probable.

Everyone knows that Apple is reticent on any forthcoming products. They never say anything concrete, until the day of an event. Think of it as their “thing”. It’s how people know them. For Apple, the suspense is part of creating the buzz. If you notice, though, something always leaks out. Whether it’s the reservation of a conference room, the leaking of specifications, or the dropping of a prototype iPhone 4G on a bar floor, something always surfaces, just in time to keep the buzz circulating.

All geeks know that rumors constitute 90-95% of what is read daily on tech news websites. We love them. What’s coming soon? What will it have? Will it kill another device? All of these things help manufacturers immensely in the advertisement of their product. This is why it isn’t much of a stretch to think that Apple may have “lost” their device on purpose. The iPhone OS 4.0 event is still somewhat fresh, but the initial buzz has worn off. Sure, the SDK is available, and a jailbreak is reported to have been achieved. Sustaining buzz for months, though, requires something more.

The buzz threatened to stall, but, all of a sudden, information was leaked regarding the possibility that Apple had reserved conference space in June 2010. Several days after that, AT&T supposedly cancelled vacations for employees during the latter part of June 2010. Now, fast-forward to this week. In an even more shocking development, an iPhone 4G appears amid empty peanut shells and discarded napkins.

Suddenly, the iPhone 4G buzz is alive again. This time, it’s big enough to power the rumor mill, through Mid-May. By then, something else will have been leaked. All of this leaves one to wonder, though, if it is really all part of a carefully planned publicity campaign on the part of Apple. Think about it for a minute. Apple gets free publicity, thanks to the voracious appetite of the gadget obsessed. Websites that publish the “breaking” news get millions of page views. Most importantly, none of these entities had to spend a dime to generate and sustain the buzz.

Am I suggesting collusion on the part of Apple, Gawker Media, or any other company? Of course, I’m not. This is simply an alternative view of the situation meant to stimulate actual thought regarding the possibility that geeky readers may be doing actually what these companies hoped for…continuing to advertise their products through our insatiable appetite for rumors. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great concept. Their product lines flourish. Tech news websites get hits. Geeks remain entertained and excited about gadgetry.

This ultimately means that we’re all winners. One couldn’t ask for much more. So, please, feel free to become a freelance rumor-monger. Oh, and if you tire of the stale, old rumors, don’t despair. Remember, you, too, have the technical skill to cook up one or two of your very own. Just don’t go with the “iPhone 4G with bacon” rumor. We already have dibs on that delicious one.