Lost islanders snag an iPhone before the street date?

If you're one of the many former Lost fans whose interest slowly faded after the show became predominantly filled with mind-numbing flashbacks, all while the writers attempted to string us all along until the next commercial break, we're right there with you -- but for the folks still hangin' in there to catch the 10PM broadcasts, last night's episode was a treat. Thanks to the wonders of DVR, an eagle-eyed viewer noticed that the "satellite phone" discovered on the island seemed a bit too modern for the circumstances, and upon closer review, an actual iPhone was unearthed. Hidden beneath a makeshift enclosure sat an iPhone interface, complete with an OS X Home icon, which leads us to wonder if the entire show isn't based in the future. Regardless, the islanders no longer have reason to whine about being stranded, as we're fairly confident there would be quite a manhunt going on if they offered up the pre-release iPhone in exchange for a boat ride home.

[Via TUAW]

[Dave95 @ Apr 20th 2007 8:49AM]

Hate to spoil it for the fanbase but - it's NOT an iPhone. Take a look at the Windows Warning icon!

But I could undersatnd the wanting to use an iPhone UI, looks for better than a Windows Mobile UI

[max @ Apr 20th 2007 8:50AM]

The battery dying on them wasn't a great indication of things to come...

[John @ Apr 20th 2007 8:54AM]

If you bailed on Lost, you've missed out, because the last 5 or so episodes have been phenomenal - just as good as it used to be. Admittedly, the first part of the season was slow and rough, but it's back to true form lately.

[EricFromAwesomeStart @ Apr 20th 2007 9:00AM]

Yeah, the whole last month or two of episodes have been amazing. Really back in the swing.

[t-bone @ Apr 20th 2007 9:21AM]

As an owner of a Windows PDA, those icons in the top-right corner of the screen are quite familiar. I can't believe you fell for this.

[jason @ Apr 20th 2007 9:32AM]

Yep, its windows mobile, I have those exact same icons on 3 of my phones :) imate jam, cing 8125 (current phone) and I forgot the last one heh.. I have had soo many phones in the last 3 years.

[DJ @ Apr 20th 2007 9:22AM]

It would make sense that an iPhone would appear on the show. After all, it's an ABC show. ABC is owned by Disney. Disney, through it's aquisiton of Pixar, has Steve Jobs as it's largest single shareholder. (Kinda weird that Disney buys Pixar and in essence, Apple now owns Disney). His stake is worth about $10 billion now.

[Markjm58 @ Apr 20th 2007 9:42AM]

I agree with the above comment that this is some sort of marketing ploy in essence by apple but he is completely wrong in his corporate ramblings, Apple do not own disney in any way shape or form steve jobs in the largest individual shareholder with 6% of the shares but that is him personally and 6% of the stock dont give you ownership or control of the company and this 6% stake at the current price of around $35 a share, makes approx 2.1 billion dollars, not 10 billion! some difference lol So roughly apple dont own disney and if DJ counts Steve's cash for him he's in for a rough day and about an 8 billion dollar loss!!!!!

[Z @ Apr 20th 2007 9:27AM]

Forget the iPhone. I saw this episode and thought, "What satellite phone manufacturer makes that model?"

That's how a satellite phone should look. And if those manufacturers haven't considered making one, they should.

[Brian M @ Apr 20th 2007 9:43AM]

Not to be picky but when I actually use a satalite phone on rare occassions for work, the LAST thing I want is a big honking battery wasting LCD screen, you do not spend the $ per minute for a device that can communicate from anywhere based on sex appeal, you buy it based on durability, and functionality. Give me a data capable phone and I can hook up my PDA or laptop to it.

[Nick @ Apr 20th 2007 9:28AM]

the icons and interface would look much more "pretty" than it does if it was the osx ui...

[Monkey @ Apr 20th 2007 9:36AM]

Its an SATALITE phone.. if it was a iPhone they would've called it a iPhone! Specially when you say "which leads us to wonder if the entire show isn't based in the future" serious.. theres more touch screen based material, and is iPhone really worth our time writing this useless stuff?

[Alan Strangis @ Apr 20th 2007 9:37AM]

It has icons so it MUST be an iPhone... where's that digg down button again? ;P

And yeah, Lost has regained it's former glory after the terrible first half of this season. The 'van' episode alone was worth the wait.

[Z @ Apr 21st 2007 10:33PM]

Speak for yourself. Sex appeal matters with everything we buy, but it's not just about that. A large touchscreen could significantly enhance functionality. Besides, why would a satellite phone be any different than any other phone? It's still a phone, and we manage just fine with the large screens on our WM devices, so battery life is not a concern. They could make it any size they wish, increasing the battery size along with it, and you could always carry a spare battery. I don't just want my phones to function well, I want them to look good, too.

[Dan @ Apr 20th 2007 10:09AM]

Well the only complaint they can have now is that the battery is dead!!!

[Bob @ Apr 20th 2007 10:14AM]

I've seen every episode of LOST, so I'm a bit of a fanatic when it comes to the show. That comment about "an eagle-eyed viewer noticed that the "satellite phone" discovered on the island seemed a bit too modern for the circumstances" is a bunch of crap.

The girl that had it (I don't remember her name, but it's been revealed already) most likely works for Widmore, or is at least being paid by Penny to find Desmond. She's going to have the latest and greatest gadgets necessary to do her job and find the island. Since this show is supposed to be taking place in 2004, I can imagine someone with a ton of money having a gadget like that.

Besides... this is TV... she can have whatever she wants. :)

[Dave95 @ Apr 20th 2007 10:35AM]

But that's not a girl but a dude with hairy hands

[Marc Sutton @ Apr 20th 2007 10:37AM]

If you look at the profile of the phone in the episode you'll see it's an Iridium-9500. They've just stuck a fake touchscreen interface on the front that I guess is just a mockup an artist made based on Windows Mobile and iPhone photos.

[J @ Apr 20th 2007 10:37AM]

Maybe I missed something...what's so great about a giant phone the size of a tv remote??
That's about twice as big as an average phone. Forget a belt clip, I bet that thing needs a shoulder strap...

[Matt @ Apr 20th 2007 4:33PM]

Yes, you have missed something... its supposedly a satellite phone, not your standard GSM Nokia/Motorola whatnot.

Having said that, as said, it wouldn't make a very good satellite phone - when designing a satellite phone you would want good battery and for it to actually work, not some fancy battery-sucking LCD to display all the error messages on.

[Howard @ Apr 20th 2007 10:38AM]

Since they have electricity on the island, why don't they just figure out a way to charge the dead battery? I'm sure one of the genius on the island can figure that out.. then wala! they are off the island with a rescue call :)

[Jason @ Apr 20th 2007 3:56PM]

The battery didn't die, the phone was just "broken". You can see a flashing "Internal Error" message.

The dead battery second reply is just a boring cheap shot at Apple.

[Pete @ Apr 20th 2007 10:50AM]

I agree that LOST is back to its former glory. This second part of the season has been incredible.

[seth @ Apr 20th 2007 12:02PM]

Doesn't look like a mac interface to me. At all...

[KC @ Apr 20th 2007 4:52PM]

Maybe it ran out of battery because the last person using it was listening to, and downloading crap from the itunes store?

[REDbULL Runner @ Apr 20th 2007 6:27PM]

wow... I cant beleive how stupid some people are...

IT'S A FUCKING PROP PEOPLE!
LOST IS NOT REAL.
IT IS A TV SHOW.
GET A LIFE!

That being said, Im off to keep digging for that stargate i just know is out here.

[subleo @ Apr 20th 2007 8:19PM]

Wanna know were the last big icon (the sat icon) comes from ?

http://jeanmatthieu.free.fr/cocoajt/

It's a french TV news stream app.

Great episode anyway.

[jhonny @ Apr 20th 2007 9:13PM]

didnt microsoft just patent a new UI that looks alot like the iphones? becuase those icons dont look like the ones on the iphone and the windows mobile similiarities would make sense. or they just made an interface similiar to the iphone and windows mobile so that it looked fancy for the show. they had a sidekick with a different logo and name and slightly different colors in the UI. Wonder why no one said this earlier?

[Thomas @ Apr 21st 2007 6:00AM]

@Howard: did you mean to say "voilà" when you said "wala"?
Maybe you should leave the French to the people who actually know it.

[Ondra Soukup @ Apr 21st 2007 7:24AM]

of couse, iPhone uses WM5 core and leaves the original status icons up there.
of course, iPhone is as large as the Psion netpad.
look here http://images.google.com/images?&q=psion+netpad
stop posting this crap, if anything, maybe a joke from the makers of the show (the icons)

[james @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:27AM]

what an idiot this guy is.. how did he ever get hired by engadet? My cat (who is dead), could do a better job... sheesh.

[ET @ Apr 27th 2007 4:24AM]

People, people!
A clarification:
The Satellite/iPhone flickered on when Hurley touched the 'call' icon, and then when it flickered off, he *observed* that the battery died. It should be obvious by now to devotees of the show that there is some sort of electromagnetic field barrier on the island which interferes with "outside" electronics (i.e. planes, helicopters). Therefore, "charging it up" using The Others' electricity is--like failure--*not* an option.
I know, I know, before anyone else says it, I need to get out more!