Apple to Gizmodo: Return That $5,000 iPhone 4G

[cadder]

Apple's legal department must be the lowest of the lowest.

This could be a simple case of "finders keepers" via Beer, or there could be more to the story. Probably IS more to the story. Either way it has the potential to generate priceless publicity for Apple, if they can resist the temptation to let their egos blow it.

 

[HalJordan]

[citation][nom]TommySch[/nom]I never believed the fact that somebody just figured out this was a prototype... Id say that 99.9% of the people that could have found it accidentally would have been fooled by the casing.I think this is simply a viral marketing campaign orchestrated by apple to raise interest in the iFail 4G.[/citation]

I was pondering this myself. The odds of a tech savvy person finding the prototype, and being unscrupulous enough to poke around on it long enough to figure it out what it was are pretty high. So it raises an eyebrow. On the other hand, Apple likes to tout new products with major press shows where they control what everyone sees and hears; releasing a prototype into the wild in the hopes that it will be discovered by the right people in order to hype it seems risky by Apple standards.

 

[cadder]

Apple remotely disabled the phone...

Can they do that to any iphone? What else can they do remotely? Are they secretly making a list of all of the jailbroken iphones right now?

 

[matt314]

[citation][nom]cadder[/nom]Can they do that to any iphone? What else can they do remotely? Are they secretly making a list of all of the jailbroken iphones right now?[/citation]

It was done via mobile-me. It is a service they provide for "free" to anyone who wants it in case you lose your iphone. Well anyone who pays for a mobile account that is....

 

[grieve]

It was planted by apple... Cheap, easy advertising to get people thinking about the 4G/HD now so when summer comes everyone is ready to blow $800 to much for it. Its all hype, perfect advertising.

Good deal for Giz too, $5k for 20mil hits = priceless.

 

[michaelzehr]

Many states have a law that if you find something with a value over some limit (like $100), you need to report it to the police. "Finders keepers" only applies after a period of time for the owner to report it lost to the police. Even if California doesn't have a law like that, there's likely to be legal trouble. Gizmodo bought it knowing that the seller wasn't the legitimate owner.

 

[tayb]

[citation][nom]TommySch[/nom]I never believed the fact that somebody just figured out this was a prototype... Id say that 99.9% of the people that could have found it accidentally would have been fooled by the casing.I think this is simply a viral marketing campaign orchestrated by apple to raise interest in the iFail 4G.[/citation]

The front facing camera would have given it away for me in about 5 seconds. This is not how Apple does things. They don't plant products in mysterious bars, let the internet go nuts for a few days, then release the device three months later. No, they shroud the device in secrecy and then when the guesses and rumors have reached a fever pitch they unveil the device at the WWDC. A viral marketing campaign like this goes against anything Apple has ever done.

 

[nottheking]

This was a very shrewd move on Gizmodo's part. Having looking it over elsewhere on the Internet, for the benefit of Tom's readers that invariably fail to read linked articles and seek out other ones, I'll cover some of what appears to be the case here.

■Apple DOES have the right under California law to reclaim the device. And they did exercise this right to claim it.
■However, the claims that it was "stolen" is basic corporate saber-rattling. As it was taken from a public location, and was left behind, it very clearly falls into the "lost" category, not "stolen."
■Gizmodo is returning it. They got what they wanted; and as they noted themselves, the act of returning it effectively confirms ALL rumors. Basically, they got Apple by the balls when it came to destroying their secrecy.
■Apple remotely disabled the phone once they discovered it was lost. Hence, no personal information or such was snagged. (it's doubtful that, as an engineering prototype, that it'd have any personal information anyway, aside from potentially the directory)

[citation][nom]HalJordan[/nom]So it raises an eyebrow.[/citation]
Not really. For one, the device was lost in friggin' SILICON VALLEY, where a preponderance of the jobs are tech-related; furthermore, locations like bars tend to each target a specific demographic; if an Apple software engineer likes to hang out a place like that, chances are a majority of their patrons are tech-related people; most of them would probably know an iPhone on sight.

Also, looking through Gizmodo's own pages, they revealed that they didn't find it; they bought it off someone else. Chances are the "someone else" CERTAINLY knew it appeared to be an iPhone. (heck, who among even the tech semi-savvy WOULDN'T recognize an iPhone if they saw it?) Apparently, they knew enough, (likely perhaps owning one themselves, or certainly had friends with 'em) to tell that it didn't look like an ordinary iPhone. Gizmodo admitted that they didn't know if it was a 4G or not, but apparently were willing to take the gamble with $5,000US. And, well, the gamble certainly paid off.

 

[Hunter844]

Ok..Apple dude is prancing around a bar with a next gen phone only it doesn't look like a next gen phone until you start looking at the software on it and what not. He could have been a target I guess. Maybe he's a double agent also working for Droid..the humanity.

Dude works for Apple...it stands to reason he hangs out among other tech savvy folk. Perhaps he was at a nerd bar...you they are out there. The point is...maybe it's not that hard to figure someone happened to come across this phone and then at some point realized it wasn't your typical iphone.

 

[DjEaZy]

... PR trick!!!

 

[santfu]

This doesn't sound like a shiny shiny (control control, mwah ha ha haa) Apple PR trick, though it has brought attention to the product, i doubt Apple are too upset.

 

[santfu]

Also just had a thought, it is kind of overshadowing the iPad 3G release too, Apple wouldn't have wanted that.

 

[bfstev]

so where is Gizmodo based out of? Cuz if it isn't calli, then that 3years rule may not apply

 

[obiown77]

I would have sold it on ebay!!!

 

[mlopinto2k1]

[citation][nom]icepick314[/nom]I believe there's previous clause that overwrites ALL other laws..."Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers"[/citation]So let's see here. I acquire your sons brand new bike from some scumbag who stole it from him by forking over $1,000 cold cash. The reason I pay so much is because it's a prototype. No one has it. Then I post it, ripped down, all over my already famous website without a care that you, the owner, can see it happening. Yea, ok.

 

[Hellboy]

and the question every one asking is..

can it last a day with out a recharge.. my 3gs dont..

 

[j51]

[citation][nom]Hellboy[/nom]and the question every one asking is..can it last a day with out a recharge.. my 3gs dont..[/citation]

yes.... but only if it is at the standby mode all the time...lol

just kidding... though it appears to have a bigger battery, the faster CPU (likely), and other things may just even it out.

I won't be supprised if the battery life end up some what similar than before.

 

[SevenVirtues]

Did no one at Gizmodo realise that Apple has to actually prove that it is theirs.

 

[kingnoobe]

Mlop this hasn't been proven to be stolen but lost. I suggest you read some. Also whos the freaking idiot that took a PROTOTYPE out of the office in the first place. Why on earth would you do such a thing. Also I suggest you read some of the other posts as one guy posted in cliff notes whats going on.

So yes you would be an idiot if you prototype bike over to somebodys house *probably bragged about it* got drunk, then took a taxi home and forgot it.

 

[Guest]

Gizmodo should do what Apple always do:

"Gizmodo were unavailable for a response"