iPhone spottings, "first hand" claims abound

We know, the world's obvious obsession with the iPhone is indeed getting a bit out of hand, but we can't deny that we wish it was our hands wrapped tightly around the iPhone purportedly pictured there on the right. With just eight days to go, it seems that the iPhone has become a bit less of a hermit and has managed to make itself seen on numerous occasions. Most interesting, however, is a post over at the MacRumors forums in which a self-proclaimed "wine director in a prominent restaurant" not only caught an "Apple employee" toying with the coveted handset at dinner, but managed to score a few precious moments (five minutes to be precise) with it as well. Of course, most of the monologue covered aspects that you've all been made aware of ad nauseum, but if you're in the mood for humoring yourself, feel free to read along and believe what you will.

Read - More iPhone sightings
Read - Purported iPhone hands-on

[JAmerican @ Jun 21st 2007 7:05PM]

All I am waiting to hear about is:

-Landscape Thumbboard
-Price for Phone plan
-Price for Data Plan
-Subsidized or not

I still think the lack of actual third party applications won't make it very successful with convergence people like me who have NES/SNES/Gameboy even on our phones and other handheld devices.

Time will tell.

[Will @ Jun 21st 2007 7:23PM]

you know it's not subsidized, what more proof do you need? you know the rate plans, why are you waiting on info on this? the other 2 things are understandable, but these 2 make no sense

[JAmerican @ Jun 21st 2007 7:07PM]

As for anyone saying web applications are third party applications. Try using them on a plane, subway or place with no reception or WiFi.

Then your stuck with basically an iPod with 4GB/8GB.

[byaah @ Jun 21st 2007 7:37PM]

Actually, Google is supposed to be providing an app that lets you use the web apps offline.

http://www.tuaw.com/2007/06/21/google-ceo-says-look-forward-to-more-google-iphone-announcements/

[Jesse @ Jun 21st 2007 7:14PM]

I have a hard time believing that. I was just at Apple's Cupertino campus yesterday and spotted a few iPhones. Unless the person was approved by Steve Jobs, the only people that could have them are the engineers and they were on strict instructions that other people could look at them, but there was a no touching policy.

[Clint Bradford @ Jun 22nd 2007 2:03AM]

Apple iPhones already delivered to San Francisco Apple Store!

http://web.mac.com/clintbradford/iWeb/Site/Blog/B616EC8D-CBE5-44F6-9696-657D30F91122.html

Well, OK. Not really....

[carlo @ Jun 21st 2007 7:31PM]

Hahaha, "Muffins".

It's funny, we haven't heard any reviews or anything yet--a week out. Didn't Metheuzelah over at the Wall Street Journal get one? Where's his article?

Could they really want to make sure people have bought them before the bad reviews came out?

This whole thing is going to be in all mass-media marketing and advertising textbooks, studied and analyzed...

Wow. If it's good it's gonna be really good and if it's bad Apple will suffer big time.

[Ellianth @ Jun 21st 2007 7:39PM]

I'm sorry, worlds obsession? I didn't know I cared about the iPhone any more than I cared about any other gadget that I didn't want. But thanks for letting me know that I was obsessing over it. I've been living a lie. How could I have been so bind?

[Neptune5 @ Jun 21st 2007 7:43PM]

This is soo damn photoshoped , i could understand if he got a shot of this when the guy was leaving and they never spoke , but who wears a black shirt and shorts to an upscale restaurant , and if they two did interact don't you think he would of had a clearer image and by the looks of thats not even the ear buds for the iPhone , such a waste,

i think we should all turn our computers/TVs&Radios off until july 4th when the dust has settled a bit
because june 29th may just be Independence Day(The Movie) all over again, i'll be out in the carnage fighting to get my two iPhones

[Ellianth @ Jun 21st 2007 7:51PM]

Two? Are one of those for me? I guess this means I'll have to put out tonight? :(

[Taylor @ Jun 21st 2007 8:20PM]

You do know that the photo in this article is NOT the photo of the guy at the restaurant? It's an unrelated iSighting.

How about you read the links before you reply?

[cornholio @ Jun 22nd 2007 12:20AM]

dude
thats not the damn restraunt
and number two
thos are the right headphones
if u would watch the keynote or go to apple.com u would see that

they normal ipod headphones but have a mic built in now

[Cellenin @ Jun 21st 2007 7:53PM]

The handrest on the chairs are dirty...upscale my butt!!

[Neptune5 @ Jun 21st 2007 8:00PM]

Well one's for me and the other is for who ever is willing to pay at least $1999.99 starting bid for it on Ebay and if no one buys it, I'll have one to keep as a collectible, but seeing as how apple is just recently updating everything or maybe they did it month ago and they are just letting out information little by little,There will be short supply but insane demand.

[ruinedsucks @ Jun 22nd 2007 10:15AM]

So I'm an electrical engineer. I and most of my friends are tech junkies. I don't know anyone who is planning on buying one of these things. We all admire them but can't justify the price of the phone alone, let alone the unannounced rate plan.

I'm just not convinced the demand is going to be as high as Apple thinks it will be.

[Neptune5 @ Jun 22nd 2007 11:44AM]

lol so what the people who are going to buy don't really care what you think and if people like you don't come out to buy thats great because there will be morep hones for the people who will actually want one, i fuckin hate when people love to gripe about a price when you know it's more than worth it
Cmon Dude its Apple , Professional standard,your favorite actor/director/animator&musicians favorite computer company and if the brand is good enough for the pros why isn't it good enough for you ?



everyone in Hollywood will have the iPhone and so will every hard core apple fan which could be the same people.

[craig @ Jun 21st 2007 8:04PM]

"We know, the world's obvious obsession with the iPhone is indeed getting a bit out of hand..."

That would Engadget's obsession that's getting a bit out of hand.

[Alex Padilla @ Jun 21st 2007 8:12PM]

The picture was supposedly taken at an airport. The upscale restaurant thing was a "review" by a wine director who just so happened to see an Apple employee with an iPhone and use it for a few minutes.

Just clarification.

[jaysins @ Jun 21st 2007 8:15PM]

I don't remember ever seeing a lower case e on any of my phones for EDGE. I used to work at a store that sold unlocked phones and I always remember seeing an upper case E for when edge was available. Anyone ever see a lowercase e?

[brendan Sheehan jnr @ Jun 21st 2007 9:15PM]

"iPhone spottings, "first hand" claims abound"
Thank fuck you guys stopped saying; "spotted in the wild". It's the most sensationalist phrase on the web right now thanks to you.

[Dave H. @ Jun 21st 2007 9:17PM]

Your hating comments are telling, who the fuck this that etc. The rest of us will forge ahead and embrace the future, perhaps I will get in my time machine and meet you back in 1954.

-----------------------
http://www.iphonesaroundtheworld.net

[JerkyChew @ Jun 21st 2007 9:25PM]

Gee, where have I heard this before?

Oh wait, I heard it two weeks ago at http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/06/06/ars-reader-plays-with-iphone-describes-functionality-as-amazing

[John Doe @ Jun 21st 2007 9:39PM]

Waits for the first major defect in the iPhone....And come on people. Apple ALWAYS has something. ALWAYS.

[Silver @ Jun 21st 2007 11:54PM]

Amen, brother. Like the Red Ring of Death.

Oh wait...

[Ben H @ Jun 23rd 2007 2:08AM]

And all the laptops with annoying verticle lines that Microsoft refuses to replace. Oh wait.

[Constable Odo @ Jun 21st 2007 9:52PM]

For a while, iPhone sightings might become as common UFO or Elvis sightings and probably just as phony. Of course, if you see Elvis using an iPhone then that's the real deal.

[Tony @ Jun 21st 2007 10:34PM]

Really only 8 days till its out where are all the reviews? Something smells here? no pricing on data coming out? no reviews from major media outlets? just a guy having dinner? and if this just happend this must have happend weeks ago for them to have 3 + million in the stores a week friday hundereds and thousands of them should be boxed and ready to ship?

where are the reviews?

[t-bone @ Jun 22nd 2007 1:54AM]

Whatever happened to that guy at Texas A&M that got an iPhone? I haven't heard a single word in a very long time.

[SFJim @ Jun 22nd 2007 2:56PM]

The Apple Mafia waxed him.

[Daniel @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:33AM]

Erm just to remind you old folks that there are chinese lookalike iphones. I mean it prob is an iphone but you never know. He might be on the cheap side...

[peshue @ Jun 22nd 2007 7:29AM]

I don't even care if these stories are true or not, I'm still trying to figure out what's so desirable about a phone thats likely to cost you over $2500 on a 2 year contract.

[Ben H @ Jun 22nd 2007 8:05AM]

"Oh shit, it's friday and I don't have an article."

"Dude, just make another fucking post about iPhone sightings. Who the fuck cares that we have already done it about 50 times."

"Good call dude. Touch my weiner."

[Trevor @ Jun 22nd 2007 11:40AM]

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Ayle @ Jun 22nd 2007 8:33AM]

Next week is gonna be hell....

[Robbie L. @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:39AM]

Ok, lay off the hatorade, buddy. Just because you can't afford one doesn't mean it's a piece of shit. I just can't see why people who either don't like apple (and their products) or just can't afford them feel the need to post negative things about the iPhone. We get it you don't like it, but other people still do, get over it and go post somewhere where ppl give a shit what you have to say!

[Spencer @ Jun 23rd 2007 2:35AM]

so lucky

[uraha @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:22PM]

"the world's obvious obsession with the iPhone". More like "USA obvious obsession with the iPhone," All those feature are so outdated

[JC @ Jun 25th 2007 3:51PM]

I agree with uraha. The iPhone doesn't even do picture text messaging! You should check out a great post on www.iphailure.com that brought up a lot of good points.