Redwood City bar and a new iPhone prototype that was found

So a tech blogger walks into a bar and finds the next iPhone prototype. Stop me if you’ve heard this one…

But seriously, Gizmodo may have gotten the scoop on the rest of the tech journalism universe with a discovery of just what seems to be a prototype of the next iPhone (iPhone 4G?). A Gizmodo reporter found it in a Redwood City bar. After checking with Apple-connected John Gruber of Daring Fireball, Gizmodo found that Apple had lost a prototype and was “very interested” in getting it back. Whether or not they were ready to use pay day loans to sic Sherlock Holmes on the case is unclear.

An iPhone prototype in 3GS clothing

The surface of the iPhone prototype looks more or less like an iPhone 3GS. However, you will find numerous details that make this new iPhone something quite different:

• Front-facing video camera in addition to a back camera with a flash and larger lens
• Micro-SIM – more secure, more storage, a lot more allowable connections. This would be the first use of this tech in a U.S. cell phone
• Higher-res display (exact numbers unclear so far)
• A second microphone port and 2nd volume button
• Metal buttons
• A flatter, a lot more squared-off design
• Higher-powered battery… 5.25 WHr (watt hours) at 3.7V, in contrast to 4.75 WHr in the iPhone 3GS

New iPhone or red herring?

Gizmodo believes that this new iPhone is a discovery for numerous reasons. It was running the iPhone 4. operating system before that OS was even announced first of all. Second thing, the iPhone was killed likely before Gizmodo could get any further into the OS. It was indicated that it was an unreleased unit when it connected to a Mac OS X system and was recognized as an iPhone in both Xcode and iTunes, but no firmware updates were available. According to Gizmodo, the fact the Mac OS X System Profiler reported it as an iPhone in restore mode is consistent with the phone having been “remotely wiped.”

Under the hood is the proof

The components on the inside are Apple-labeled and fit together very well inside the case. Gizmodo claims that if this were 3G or 3GS parts in some modified housing, then the parts wouldn’t fit so well. It was intended for that case. Speaking of the case, it’s thinner than the 3GS, but slightly heavier (possibly because of the metal buttons). The product seemed as if it wasn't as sleep as customers are used to having with Apple products. IPhones previously had more curves than this one that was ugly, just like tax debt, and boxier. This might be attributed to the iPhone being a prototype.

What does this mean for all consumers

This summer, the next-gen iPhone is going to be announced. If the iPhone prototype found by Gizmodo is an indication of the future, people waiting to upgrade may want to take the plunge. A better back camera, a better battery, a second microphone for better voice clarity, and a front video cam addresses some of fans' major concerns. Just sexy up the case a bit and you might just have a deal.