So, many of you were skeptical about my articles (parts 1 and 2) a few weeks back around the suspected leak of the new iPhone model. Well since then there has been another siting of the alleged iPhone 4G, this time on the Vietnamese site TaoViet. To further fuel the fires of suspicion, Walmart just dropped the price on the 16GB model 3GS to under $100! It makes perfect sense that they would be getting rid of their inventory just prior to the release of a new model.

The first iPhone launched in 2007, the 3G in 2008, the 3GS in 2009. I’m not very good at the maths, but I believe that means we’re just about due for a new model some time soon. With the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference is coming up in just two weeks, I have a sneaking suspicion that Apple will use this event to announce the new iPhone 4G.

Too much, too soon? The 3GS is a very popular model and has sold very well despite missing a few highly-publicized features (*coughFlashcough*). Also Apple fanboys’ wallets are still recovering from the recent iPad launch. Will there be a market for a new iPhone model? Maybe not… that is, if it was just a new version on the AT&T network. The Wall Street Journal, however, reported rumors that a CDMA-capable version of the iPhone may go live later this year. That means Verizon and Sprint may soon get the iPhone and the AT&T exclusivity deal may be close to an end.

All this seems a bit too predictable though, and if there’s one thing Apple is not known for, it’s predictability. Only 2 short weeks to the WWDC folks… what do you think Steve’s got up his sleeves? Let me know what you think below!

The Epock Times – Slashed Walmart iPhone Prices Fuel Rumors of New iPhone Release
ComputerWorld – New Apple iPhone 4G at WWDC 2010: “not disappointing”
TouchReviews – Apple’s WWDC Sells Out. Focus on iPhone 4G, iPad and apps

Last week I wrote about how a new iPhone prototype got leaked to Gizmodo and how Apple’s legal dept sent them a letter demanding the device back. So Giz agreed and returned the phone. End of story right? Not so fast!

Yesterday the Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT), a special police task force focusing on computer-related crimes, raided the home of Jason Chen, the blogger (journalist?) who wrote the article and created the video of the new iPhone for Gizmodo. Jason was not home at the time so they broke down his door, taking everything from his computers, iPad, external hard drives, digital camera, and even his business cards. When Jason arrived home with his wife, police told him that they had a warrant for the search and then proceeded to frisk him and search his car.

Gaby Darbyshire, C.O.O. of Gawker Media, parent company of Gizmodo, was quick to respond stating that the search warrant was invalid. She cited the “journalist shield law” (Section 1070 of the California Evidence code) which states, in a nutshell, that members of the press do not need to disclose the sources of material for their articles. She also notes that the search was in progress when Jason returned at 9:45PM, while the warrant specifically disallows a night search.

This seemed to have stopped the investigation in its tracks, and the San Mateo County District Attorney’s office determining whether or not the journalist shield law applies in this case. On the one side, people argue that it does apply and that the police should have issued a subpoena requesting Jason/Gizmodo turn specific evidence over to them. On the other side, people argue that the warrant does apply being that this is a criminal investigation of possible corporate espionage and the acquisition of what could be considered stolen property (journalists are not shielded from this).

An interesting side-note to the story is that Apple sits on the REACT board, which has spawned numerous conspiracy theories that Apple themselves prompted the police raid. As outrageous as that may sound, how many times have you heard of the police raiding someone’s house over a lost Blackberry?

So as of right now the police still have Jason’s gear, though they say they have not started examining any of the property, pending the DA’s office determination of whether the journalist shield law applies. All I can say is good luck brother, keep fighting the good fight! Due to the pending legal issue, Gizmodo has disabled comments on their main post, but feel free to leave your opinions here in the comments below!

I leave you with this truly epic skit from Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show (skip to 1:20 for Apple-related segment):

Gizmodo – Police Seize Jason Chen’s Computers

PCWorld – iPhone Prototype: Web Reacts to Police Raid on Gizmodo Editor’s House
PCWord – Police Raid Gizmodo Editor’s Home: The Fallout Continues

Citizen Media Law Project – Police Seize Gizmodo Reporter’s Computers Over iPhone 4 Leak

Wired – Expert: Invalid Warrant Used in Raid on iPhone Reporter’s Home

TechCrunch – The iPhone Leak Gets Ugly: Police Raid Gizmodo Editor’s House, Confiscate Computers
TechCrunch – iPhone Leak Investigation Pauses As DA Ponders Gizmodo Shield Law Defense

So how would you like to be fresh out of college, get a dream job for a company you love, get included in a project testing out a prototype upgrade to one of their uber-p0pular devices, then accidentally allow it fall into the hands of the press well before it was scheduled to be announced? Gizmodo released the scoop on this just a few days ago. The story goes like this…

Last month Gary Powell, an Apple engineer, took the latest prototype for the iPhone out for a test drive. It was his birthday, so he was out at a bar getting blitzed with his friends. He had even pulled out the prototype, cleverly disguised as a plain old 3GS model, and tweeted about what a good time he was having. At some point he left the bar but forgot his iPhone on the barstool. Flame if you want, but we’ve all been there.

The iPhone was found by an individual who was left un-named. The person said he tried to find the owner the next day but the phone had been remotely wiped (which ironically may have also prevented the owner from tracking him down via MobileMe. He did mention that he previously flipped through the apps and found that the Facebook app opened up to Gary Powell’s home page. He claims he attempted to contact Apple but was effectively ignored. An Apple rep who overheard the call said the person couldn’t provide any pics of the device so they thought it was either a hoax or just an imitation device. Again, flame if you want, but would you really believe it if someone told you they just found a prototype iPhone?

So 3 weeks pass. After numerous failed attempts to contact Apple, and having nothing better to do with a bricked iPhone, the guy decided to try and cash in on his ordeal. Enter Gizmodo. After seeing the device for themselves, they were convinced that it was the real deal and gave the guy a whopping $5000 for the device. The folks at Giz spent about a week verifying facts and are very confident the device was indeed the next iPhone.

So far everything seemed shady at best. Pics and video of the device looked real enough, but everything was plausibly deniable without a working OS. Not content to let Gizmodo have all the glory, Engadget posted pics of the iPad leaked from an Apple test lab and pointed out the partial pic of a device that looks conspicuously like the one in question. Convincing, right? No? How about this: Yesterday Gizmodo received a letter from Apple’s Legal department stating that Gizmodo had their device and they wanted it back. Now Apple has arguably admitted ownership of a device that previously had dubious origins. Still not convinced? Last thing I’ve got for ya are some pics posted up on a mac forum showing the device disassembled.

Here are some of the highlights Gizmodo’s hands-on review:

• The back is made of glass and no longer curved but flat, with the Apple logo and lettering in metallic silver.
• The sides are also flat and metallic silver.
• There is now a camera on front and a flash added to the larger camera on the back.
• There is a mic on top and on bottom (assuming one is for noise cancellation).
• There are 2 volume buttons on the side.
• The SIM slot is now a micro-SIM slot (same as the iPad) on the side.
• The height, width and depth are approximately the same (they say the new device is slightly smaller, but the difference looked slight from the pics).
• The headphone port, connection dock, power and home buttons also look the same.
• Since it was bricked, no info was available on the OS or interface.

So at the end of the day the question remains… was this prototype just accidentally lost, or was it part of some elaborate ad campaign to hype the iPhone to even higher levels? I’m personally more partial to the latter. As much as Giz wants to think it got Apple’s number this time around, the odds of this device just being handed to them on a silver platter seem pretty astronomical. As far as ad campaigns go, this one went viral pretty quick. Despite being a Gizmodo exclusive, it was still covered on all the major tech and mac blogs within hours. What do you guys think? Was this an elaborate viral marketing campaign, or really just a case of human error?

The Lost iPhone 4G Saga:
Gizmodo – How Apple Lost the Next iPhone
Gizmodo – This Is Apple’s Next iPhone
Gizmodo – A Letter: Apple Wants Its Secret iPhone Back
Gizmodo – Why Apple Couldn’t Get the Lost iPhone Back

Related articles:
Gizmodo – This Is Apple’s Next iPhone
Gizmodo – Apple Didn’t Leak the iPhone—and Why That Matters
Engadget – iPhone 4G: is this it?
Engadget – iPhone 4G: proof
Engadget – Apple’s 4th-generation iPhone revealed