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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone

By | May 12, 2010, 2:41am PDT

It seems that Apple is having a hard time keeping track of prototypes of its 4th generation iPhone handsets, as another one ends up in the hands of someone who shouldn’t have it.

The new photos appear on Vietnamese website Taoviet.vn. Rumors are that this handset was bought in the US by a Vietnamese businessman, along with an iPad.

We have lots of photos. On the whole the handset is similar to that acquired by Gizmodo, although one difference is that this one is marked as a 16GB model and seems to boot into a diagnostic screen.

Apple branded processor on display here.

Seems genuine enough.

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Topics

Apple iPhone, Handset, Apple Inc., Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Disclosure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
ryanstrassburg 13th May 2010
Marketing strategy or desparate Apple workers trying to bridge a gap in their income? Who knows, in either case the advertisement was free as seen on the morning news. No doubt the talk of the day at many tech related companies. If some guy pays $5k for a prototype iPhone and it is a marketing ploy, does Mr. Macintosh get the money or does the delivery boy get to keep it?
View in thread
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Only 16GB?
billbo_litenin@... 12th May 2010
The more I see this new look the more I like it. I wonder how well they will be priced?

Only 16GB though? Hopefully as this is only a prototype apple will be releasing 32GB and 64GB if previous releases is anything to go by.
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Wow! It looks like...
Sleeper Service 12th May 2010
...an iPhone.

*Snore*
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
LandonAB 12th May 2010
That guys fingernails are grossing me out. Makes it hard to look at the phone!
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
dave95. 12th May 2010
@LandonAB

Agree, but maybe they're used as screwdrivers lol.
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that's not a nail
TroutHound 12th May 2010
@dave95.

It's a super secret WiFi antenna.
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You, too?
Worth2Cents 12th May 2010
@LandonAB
First i saw the Apple logo, then that evil talon.
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
tnizzle 12th May 2010
@LandonAB LMAO
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
goldomenso Updated - 12th May 2010
@LandonAB, It's probably a classic guitar player.
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
Pete "athynz" Athens 12th May 2010
@LandonAB That claw is probably how he got into the iPhone's innards in the first place... built-in tool box...
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Status Symbol -- fingernails, & phone
UnCommonCents 12th May 2010
@LandonAB: elsewhere others note in some Asian cultures, long nails (often pinky only) indicates non-laborer. Having a pre-release iPhone couldn't hurt ones status/image either... unless you're an Apple hater.
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
LandonAB 12th May 2010
@UnCommonCents I should be more compassionate and aware of other cultures. At 7:00 AM though, it freaked me out.
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
gmantel 12th May 2010
I had an Asian friend with a long pinky fingernail, and I asked him about this. Apparently, it is supposed to signify wealth. It's only the pinky finger, though.
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So whose doors will the Apple Police kick in this time?
JonathonDoe 12th May 2010
NT
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IDK, but I ain't sticking around to find out...
Cylon Centurion 12th May 2010
*Runs away*
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Whoever steals their stuff (if anyone.)
AzuMao 12th May 2010
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A4 proccesor is confirmed.
dave95. 12th May 2010
Then I expect the iPhone to be just as snappy, fluid and powerful running that processor - with great battery life.
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
mcswan454 12th May 2010
Thought about it, laughed about it, forgot about it...

Maybe this is all just for press coverage after all.

M.
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Alternatively
voyager529 12th May 2010
@mcswan454 I think another Slashdotter had it right: with the current generation of iPhones approaching market saturation, and the amount of compelling new features dwindling, this may be Apple's solution to get people to pay a few grand for the latest iPhone instead of a measly $199.

Joey
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
Pete "athynz" Athens 12th May 2010
@voyager529 As a current iPhone 3G 16GB owner and someone who is wanting a 4th gen iPhone Apple can forget about getting more than $299 from me for the new iPhone - and that one better be 64GB and 3x faster than the model I currently have.
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
mcswan454 12th May 2010
Thought about it, laughed about it, forgot about it...

Maybe this is all just for press coverage after all.

M.

(And I just gotta know. WHY? If I'm signed into TechRepublic, and all of these sites are interconnected, do I have to again sign in here? Maybe it's just me, but...)
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
linux-user 12th May 2010
Steve Jobs,

Pray to St Anthony, the Patron Saint of Getting Back Lost Things happy
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Watch out for men in black
jscott418 12th May 2010
I guess this guy better watch out for the guys in Black.
Can anyone say Who cares!
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*yawn*
Pembo Updated - 12th May 2010
This is free advertising for the upcoming model.
OOps we lost another one, why nooo.
How many dishonest employees do they have? or are they just that incompetent?
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
worldbfree4me 12th May 2010
My translator states the man talking indicated he paid $4000 US for the phone..
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
Gis Bun 12th May 2010
Funny how the discuss here became someone's fingernails and not the obvious topic - how can Apple be so incompitent!
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all the Vietnamese manicurists are working in the US now.
pikeman666 12th May 2010
no text
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please!
shadfurman 12th May 2010
Apple isn't "loosing" phones. Its a ploy, they're "leaking" them to get feedback. If they get good feedback, they hey, they'll go with it. If they get bad feedback, weeelll... that was just a prototype anyways, the final will be much cooler. When the iPhone first came out it WAS fairly revolutionary in design. Now... they can't abandon their ecosystem, but they aren't a top player anymore. They're gonna have to do something drastic to give an extra edge. Apple takes a flip-flop approach (kinda like intel) they release one set of "new" features (though the "features" are rarely new... like multitasking) and then a new hardware spec which usually includes some basic upgrades. Their last phone was their big release, I doubt their specs are going to change much this time around (screen to match iPad res and A4 cpu are my guess) Their big change is gonna be the look.
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
eddzpc@... 12th May 2010
The Apple employees probably were given Android phones and didn't want that proprietary, closed, non-expandable Crapple anymore and just left it there.
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
Rndmacts 13th May 2010
Something very fishy here, Apple who is famous for its secrecy is suddenly losing prototypes of their new iPhone. Ther is nothing in the 4g version that is new and earth shattering, and as people are getting tired of Apple's antics of overpricing their products have hit upon a new way of getting buzz. Leave them lying around so that they fall into the hands of the tech press. Its another piece of Apple crap, but all the fanboiz are seeing things that aren't there and no doubt will wait in line overnight just to be the first to have this latest version. Wake up people this is just a new marketing strategy from the twisted brain of Steve Jobs to bamboozle and confound you.
0 Votes
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RE: Apple loses another 4th gen iPhone
ryanstrassburg 13th May 2010
Marketing strategy or desparate Apple workers trying to bridge a gap in their income? Who knows, in either case the advertisement was free as seen on the morning news. No doubt the talk of the day at many tech related companies. If some guy pays $5k for a prototype iPhone and it is a marketing ploy, does Mr. Macintosh get the money or does the delivery boy get to keep it?

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