The news may seem surprising on Apple. The California company, known for its cult of secrecy, would have lost a very thorough prototype of the forthcoming new version of its smartphone, the iPhone's fourth generation (4G). The device was found Saturday in a bar in San Jose, California, approximately 10 km south of Apple headquarters, hidden in a bag to make it resemble a 3Gs. Happy coincidence, is a journalist site Engadget that would put his hand on it and created a buzz on the Internet. The prototype test was then landed in the hands of the editors of American site dedicated to new technologies Gizmodo, as explained in the latter since Monday.
Proof that this is not a fake, according to them: The phone was reported lost – or stolen – from Apple, claiming his return. The unit was disconnected remotely.Once connected to a computer, it would have been recognized as an iPhone by the system. "Evidence ultimate" once husked, it would reveal internal elements labeled Apple.
Changes
Gizmodo was happy to detail the equipment and to identify major changes from the last version 3Gs. As for news, the iPhone available to them is equipped with a camera with a lens much bigger and a flash on the front. The 4G has a micro-SIM instead of the standard SIM, like the iPad ("no other cell phone uses this standard to the U.S.," says Gizmodo). The screen has a higher resolution. There are "what looks like" a secondary microphone noise cancellation, next to the power cable for the earbuds.Finally, the volume buttons are separate buttons while the start-up, muted, and volume are all metal.
The design is a key element of differentiation between the 3Gs and 4G. If it proves to be a true prototype of the iPhone 4G, this unit would mark a return to classic Apple. Gone are the rounded back feature of the iPhone: the back is completely flat. The border going around the unit is no longer plastic but aluminum. The screen is slightly smaller. In short, "everything is more straightforward, as summarized by Gizmodo.
The device measures 11.43 x 5.87 solved x 0.94 cm, and weighs 140 grams or 3 grams more than 3Gs. "Because it is thinner, it appears as if he is more comfortable to put in the pocket of his trousers," enthuses editor of Gizmodo. Its battery is 16% larger. In fact, all internal components are small."As we have never been able to completely start, we ignore its storage capacity, however, regrets the article.
The buzz before the release
This is not the first time that Apple misled a model. Last July, the Chinese company Foxconn, which assembles the iPhone, claimed that an employee had lost one of sixteen prototype fourth-generation iPhone, which should be sent to California. The consequences have been more dramatic then that Apple would have liked because the employee complained, Sun Danyong, had ended his days. The news, first considered a rumor had been confirmed by Apple via an e-condolence.
This time, no new side of the California firm. The buzz created by the specialized sites around the prototype are in any case a boost in marketing the device, expected in JuneTimely support for Apple, since Google has released its Nexus One this year.
ALSO READ:
"The challenges are multiplied for Apple
"The iPhone dethroned?
"The Apple iPhone destabilizes tenors mobile
»Blog: Technotes, daily source of high-tech news