Apple iPhone 5 Prototype Lost in Bar…Again?

The latest in Apple technology is always under tight lock and key. The rumor mill seems to run year round, however most rumors aren’t completely true until the devices are officially shown off. Nowadays, it seems that Apple needs to rethink their current way of handling “top secret” devices. Last year, the public was offered the opportunity to get a quick look at what we now know as the iPhone 4. This was because an Apple engineer seemed to have forgotten it at a San Francisco bar. This year, the iPhone prototype is reportedly in the same fate.

Similar Stories

The stories are quite identical. The Apple engineer walks into a bar with the iPhone prototype, but walks out without it. However, there is one large difference to both stories, the release. With the previous situation, the iPhone 4 prototype was picked up by a popular tech blog and released to the web. In this situation, the iPhone prototype hasn’t been picked up and the whole situation is currently rumored. The local police station has been contacted and is investigating the situation. Currently, the station hasn’t found anything on the issue. But we doubt that Apple would call a local police to say that their top-secret device is missing, so the police situation doesn’t prove the story untrue.

The Difference

While a blog hasn’t picked up the actual device, there have been postings on the online commerce website, Craigslist, for an iPhone prototype. This hasn’t been confirmed and is considered unlikely due to the implications of such a transaction. For example, the popular website Gizmodo purchased the iPhone 4 prototype in a private transaction with the individual who found the device in the Redwood City bar. In addition, the rumored posting was for $200, the cost of an average entry-level new iPhone. The Gizmodo model cost upwards of $5000, due to its rarity.

Cheap Marketing Ploy?

In addition, there is the looming speculation that Apple is behind both situations. As consumers, we aren’t formally supposed to know of what Apple has cooking in the oven until a formal conference. However, it’s a smart marketing move for Apple to increase interest in the device well before then. Also, both situations are too similar to be believable; both iPhones were forgotten in a San Francisco bar. However, the other end can argue that Apple doesn’t need the added publicity. They also can vouch that the second time around could all be a hoax. With the Craigslist rumor, the price, and the whole situation in general, it seems that both sides have good arguments.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. This could be real, which would make us worry about how Apple handles such material. It could be a “cheap publicity stunt” from Apple, a suggestion the website Computer World claims to be the case. The final possibility is that it’s just a fake situation all together, without Apple’s involvement. In any situation, we should just focus on our personal rumor mills and ignore this debacle, we only have about a month until the real device is announced – we can wait that long!