Someone’s made a boo-boo, and Apple isn’t going to be happy: a prototype of the next generation iPhone has been leaked to a major tech blog, and the cat is truly out of the bag.
The prototype device – which was concealed inside a plastic casing designed to make it look like a standard iPhone 3GS – was provided to Gizmodo by an un-named acquaintance, allegedly after being found on the floor of a bar, and those who have investigated it are suitably convinced as to its legitimacy.
First, the specs: while the firmware is blocked – and can’t be restored – there’s plenty to be going on with from the device’s appearance and boot screen. When the fourth-generation iPhone was first rumored, hints of a high-resolution 960×640 screen were made – and those appear to be borne out, with Gizmodo claiming that the “Connect to iTunes” screen is significantly higher quality compared to the same screen on an iPhone 3GS.
The camera also appears to have undergone a major overhaul, with a bigger lens – possibly a clue as to a higher resolution sensor behind it – and an LED flash for indoor and night-time photography. Interestingly, the iPhone 4G also features a front-mounted camera – something which the iPhone series has traditionally lacked – which will allow the user to make video calls.
Overall, the design of the handset is a significant departure for Apple: gone is the curved back, with a more industrial-style flat rear made from either ceramic or particularly hard, dense plastic. The sides are made from aluminum, and the front remains glass – although the screen is ever so slightly smaller.
Internally, the components are smaller overall – making room for a battery which is 16 percent larger than that found in the iPhone 3GS. Despite this, the device manages to be almost exactly the same weight as its predecessor – tipping the scales at just three grams heavier. The standard SIM card has also been given a shave, being replaced with the same micro-SIM used in the iPad.
While it’s possible that this handset is nothing more than a particularly high quality knock-off from China, Gizmodo seems convinced as to its veracity. When you take into account the fact that the handset is recognized as an iPhone by the Mac OS X System Profiler – albeit one with an unknown product identifier – it seems that this is indeed the future of the iPhone series, and a device that Apple will be sad to see leaked so early.
So far Apple has neither confirmed nor denied the leak, although Daring Fireball’s John Gruber claims the device is “a unit Apple is very interested in getting back.“
