Rumors

Daring Fireball on the Purported Next-Gen iPhone

The flurry over the possible stolen iPhone prototype has the web going crazy. My feelings have been tweeted and can be summed up as "It makes me sick"

An overview by Daring Fireball works through John Gruber's initial skepticism and eventual acceptance as a prototype or test-bed frame.

So I called around, and I now believe this is an actual unit from Apple — a unit Apple is very interested in getting back. I am not certain that this looks like the actual production unit Apple intends to ship to consumers. I think it’s a testbed frame

Gizmodo has intentionally purchased this item knowing that it is property of Apple and most likely was stolen. They have chosen to make profit their motivation, not the law. They defended their actions by using Daring Fireball as confirmation of the unit's existence.

Jason Chen writes: Apple-connected John Gruber — from Daring Fireball — says that Apple has indeed lost a prototype iPhone and they want it back

Gruber has enough information to confirm and to set the record straight, I trust his word and believe what he reports.

Gruber set the record straight, it was not accidentally lost.

It is my understanding that Apple considers this unit stolen, not lost. And as for the “someone(s)” who “found” it, I believe it is disingenuous for Gizmodo to play coy, as though they don’t know who the someones are.

I don't know how this will play out over the next few days, but I look forward to seeing a response from Apple.

I do find it interesting that at this point none of the major news outlets seems to have chimed in. They may know better what the ramifications are for such actions.

The future is almost now

Tomorrow morning Apple will unveil something new and exciting, what it is exactly no one really knows. Everyone has an opinion and they all are confident in their assumptions.

I am excited, eager and I confess to know nothing. I won't even try to guess. This could be a new form factor altogether. I have an idea of what I'd like to see, but one of the reasons I love Apple is they produce products that are far beyond what I can envision.

The iPod Less than a decade ago Apple released the iPod, the device no one understood or really expected. The pre-iPod rumors existed, but not with this frenzy. I followed the rumors closely and was shocked by the final product. It was exactly what I didn't know I needed, but had to have. It filled an invisible niche that started a frenzy.

The iPhone Rumors of the iPhone started early and some were very close to what we saw from the raw specifications. What Apple delivered was a new paradigm in portable computing. It just fills that niche that nobody really thought existed, now we have a smartphone explosion, an app store explosion and an entirely new marketplace that has made millions for the most unexpected people.

Steve Jobs said yesterday during the Q1 2010 Financial call

“The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we’re really excited about.”

Gizmodo had it right when they said, "Apple actually reveals a product, it's something that they're confident enough to support for years to come."

What they announce and release tomorrow will be compelling, polished and I expect, somewhat unexpected.

Daring Fireball: Tablet Musings

Daring Fireball: Tablet Musings


A few follow-up points speculating on The Tablet.


More from Gruber on the product that we may never see

Attribute to Daring Fireball

Daring Fireball: The Tablet

Daring Fireball: The Tablet

John Gruber says what we all are thinking or wish we had been thinking.


Here’s the thimbleful of information I have heard regarding The Tablet (none of which has changed in six months): The Tablet project is real, it has you-know-who’s considerable undivided attention, and everyone working on it has dropped off the map. I don’t know anyone who works at Apple who doubts these things; nor do I know anyone at Apple who knows a whit more. I don’t know anyone who’s seen the hardware or the software, nor even anyone who knows someone else who has seen the hardware or software.

Attribute to Daring Fireball

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