Next-gen iPhone spotted in the wild?

Well here's an interesting one. French iPhone blog iPhon.fr got these pics from an anonymous and unverified source, and while there's no way of telling if the shots are legit, they certainly have a truthy ring to them. They follow what we know so far about the shape, size and color of the upcoming 3G iPhone, and while there's always the possibility of knockoff, a Photoshop job, or some other evil plot to mislead us, we're certainly not going to discount these shots entirely in the runup to iPhone's second coming.

Update: Some commenters have pointed out that the size and shape of this phone bares a striking resemblance to LG's Vu. As we said up above, we're not ruling out some handy editing work here.

[Thanks, Janvier]

[Steffen Jobbs @ May 2nd 2008 10:18AM]

Big deal. LG stands for low grade. So it's got a 5MP camera. The iPhone is supposed to be a versatile smartphone, not a camera. The Secret is nice, but will still end up as an also-ran compared to the 3G iPhone. The LG Secret can be called the Nokia N95 killer and leave it at that.
http://www.applegazette.com/on-the-web/iphone-is-now-the-most-popular-camera-phone-on-flickr/

[Chris @ May 2nd 2008 12:20PM]

So how is the UI? I notice a complete lack of information about that in both your comment and in a short review I looked up about it. Hmm....when will they learn?

[Philster @ May 2nd 2008 7:58AM]

Ew.

I already sold my 10mo old 8GB iPhone in anticipation of the new model. Now I think I might just buy a 16GB 1st gen iPhone instead.

[Phil Perman @ May 2nd 2008 7:59AM]

Looks dull, and, dare I say it, generic WinMo-ish

[starkman @ May 2nd 2008 8:01AM]

Yeah I'd agree, although apple are the kings of modern elegance and simplicity, this is a major step away and is just plain boring.

[ThePremierAssassin @ May 2nd 2008 7:59AM]

It looks meh to me

Personally I hoping that it looks almost exactly like the last one...

Damn it Apply why won't you just freaking announce what the entire world basically knows...

[Poozle @ May 2nd 2008 8:00AM]

Looks fake to me, look at the apple logo on the back, it looks like its been squashed and doesn't even look straight.

[Terc @ May 2nd 2008 8:14AM]

It's defiantly been photoshopped on. It's not angled the same as the phone is either.

[catachip @ May 2nd 2008 8:24AM]

I agree. The Apple logo is all wrong. Most likely it's photoshop, or, best case scenario, it's a Chinese knockoff.

[buzaw0nk @ May 2nd 2008 8:00AM]

Hey the black plastic is all scratched up, must be a real iPod!

[404error @ May 2nd 2008 8:00AM]

I like it. It looks a little plain, but I'll hold off on a final judgment until seeing it in person. Those scratches are pretty nasty, though. I guess that's to be expected from Apple...

[Andrew Campbell @ May 2nd 2008 3:03PM]

I'm certain Steve personally keyed each iPhone before shipping it off to customers. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to sue Nintendo for the scratches in my DS's Touch Screen.

[Niclet @ May 2nd 2008 8:07AM]

Is Jonathan Ive on vacation?

[ryan @ May 2nd 2008 8:10AM]

My money is on knock-off. Anyone recognize it?

[superted @ May 2nd 2008 9:42AM]

it looks like a newer looking blackberry... screen from iTouch/iPhone... apple button added and other decals

[HeYo @ May 2nd 2008 8:14AM]

So ugly. So Generic. So Fake.

Not Apple.

[ThePremierAssassin @ May 2nd 2008 8:30AM]

Very True

[benji @ May 2nd 2008 8:16AM]

Am I the only one that thinks this looks slick as hell? When Clean?

[the_fozz @ May 2nd 2008 8:18AM]

looks scratched to hell with plastic instead of aluminum. which means it's probably real. Mini to Nano all over again.

[swingin' dick hero @ May 2nd 2008 8:18AM]

In comparison with the old model, this one has a camera-lens at least twice as big. More megapixels?

[TheTenant @ May 2nd 2008 8:19AM]

Apple would never put "iPhone" on the back of an iPhone, they never did anything like that and they hopefully never will. They've been keeping their designs as minimal and pretty as possible, and this is plain ugly. Now, being all black and stuff, it looks way too ordinary, like all other multimedia devices of its kind.
Nah, it's not Apple-ish enough.

So, I say it's a hoax. Or, I hope.

[catachip @ May 2nd 2008 8:21AM]

Ummm... "iPhone" is on the back of the current model, along with the capacity, and a few lines of FCC disclaimers.

Picture: http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image/16/0,,i=164122&sz=1,00.jpg

What planet are you from?

[Nastro @ May 2nd 2008 8:28AM]

Go have your coffee and seriously think about what you just said.

[fred @ May 2nd 2008 9:30AM]

It will look just like this, and all of the people that are calling it ugly will all of a sudden claim that it is a masterpiece or that "the design is starting to grow on me" or some such nonsense just to make sure they are still on the iBandwagon.

Remember the "ugly" fatty Nano?

[starkruzr @ May 2nd 2008 10:12AM]

0/10

[tcp @ May 2nd 2008 11:09AM]

"Remember the "ugly" fatty Nano?"

Yup. Still ugly. Still fat.

[Chris @ May 2nd 2008 12:24PM]

TheTenant,

The iPhone says iPhone on the back. The iPod says iPod on the back. Now what were you saying?

[FezMan88 @ May 2nd 2008 8:24AM]

If that's really it, Apple really knows how to scuff up a pre-release. Looks decent enough, but it doesn't have any rare metals (eg, the Apple i) on it, so, can't be real.

[olliewalliewhiskers @ May 2nd 2008 8:27AM]

if it is real... someone is getting fired.

[Chris @ May 2nd 2008 8:30AM]

This is definitely photoshopped. For one, the side of the phone on the left is silver like an ipod - the "iphone" screen has just been dropped on an ipod image. Also, as everyone else has mentioned, the logos do look crooked. Plus, look at all the noise/distortion around the logos.

[Richard Lai @ May 2nd 2008 8:32AM]

And on top of that, you can just about see the border where the original antenna cover is on the back. The iPhone text must have been shifted down as well.

[jezza @ May 2nd 2008 8:32AM]

@TheTennant
The current iphone says iphone on the back with some other stuff. I just looked at mine to make sure and it's true.
This doesn't look real to me. The plastic looks like sh*t and the logo is all messed up. The real 1st gen is much nicer. I vote knock-off. Please, please don't let this be real!!!

[Tom @ May 2nd 2008 8:36AM]

If that is real, then Apple have taken a step in the wrong direction with their design. That looks like any old boring black phone.

Hope it's fake.

[fred @ May 2nd 2008 8:37AM]

Wait until it is officially released, and looking just like this photo.

Just watch how quickly some of these same people turn from thinking it's ugly to thinking it's a master piece like the "fatty nano".

[Moshpit @ May 2nd 2008 8:47AM]

nice fake. ever heard of the LG VU?
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadgetmobile.com/media/2008/05/lg-vu-retail-hands-on-004.jpg

[ibanlarr @ May 2nd 2008 8:48AM]

hmmm ... this makes me think we'll see if before WWDC and gives me more reason to believe the rumor published a coupl of weeks ago that Apple will release it in May

http://switchtoamac.com/site/3g-iphone-in-may-new-mobile-device-at-wwdc-2008.html

[KG @ May 2nd 2008 8:49AM]

DAMNIT MEIZU!!! Go away!

[2shae @ May 2nd 2008 8:51AM]

No way that's an Apple product...way to ugly for that.

[Kontheur @ May 2nd 2008 8:53AM]

? http://www.frankreinders.nl/foto/600/landmark_600.jpg

[superted @ May 2nd 2008 9:33AM]

*slaps forehead*

[Zak Newman @ May 2nd 2008 8:55AM]

I do not see any volume buttons on the side... Plus, like others have said, the Apple logo is really squashed. I would say fake.

[ralph @ May 2nd 2008 8:55AM]

If you notice the part above the screen where all the sensors are has shrunk considerably. Would they really be able to fit those sensors in something that small? I think a black iPhone would actually look pretty cool if it was black aluminum that is.

[CB17 @ May 2nd 2008 9:09AM]

I see no volume rocker, no sleep/wake button, and no slient switch. I'm calling bogus.

[Adam @ May 2nd 2008 9:11AM]

The whole plastic thing just doesn't sound right to me. It just not Steves style. Apple doesn't hand out prototypes to employees. The first generation was in the works for almost 4 years and there were no pictures like this. Most of apples engineers only work on pieces of products and never really know what they are working on. Even when Steve takes things home he has been known to do it secretly... keeping things under rags and not telling family what it is. I guess that he would just hand these out to a great number of people so that there would be know way of telling who leaked if photos did show up. It makes perfect sense to put the apple logo on it too. That way when people see it, they know right then and there that it is the new iPhone. None of this is apples style. If you were the person who decided to leak photos like this, wouldn't you use a decent camera and take a decent photo? Everything that has shown up so far is of really bad quality and its not like they would have taken them in a rush... They look to be in a pretty controlled environment to me plus the first photo had a white apple logo.

[TheYoshi @ May 2nd 2008 9:18AM]

Definitely a fake... notice the picture from the front, the sides are silver all the way around it. If the thing had a back that was plastic you'd think it would wrap around to where it connects to the front.

There is something funny about the bottom left corner too on the front as well seems like bad photoshopping to me.

Top left corner on the front where his thumb is also has a distinctly "shopped" appearance.

[Michael Stein @ May 2nd 2008 9:18AM]

It's not the new iPhone its the iPhone from colorware PC. it's called the Stealth iPhone I believe.

Note- I'm just making a educated guess. there is no fact behind my opinion

[Zoli @ May 2nd 2008 9:44AM]

No, it's not. THis is a different shape than the current iPhone

[info @ May 2nd 2008 9:19AM]

Poor poor plastics ...

[weewee @ May 2nd 2008 9:20AM]

News from French Blog?
WW I was started because of a French blog posting. Faire attention!

[pAT @ May 2nd 2008 9:21AM]

Wow! I can't believe how ready people are to accept a completely unverified photo of the supposed new iPhone. And from France!

Let me repeat the two most important words from that last paragraph.

COMPLETELY UNVERIFIED.

Use some common sense here folks.

1) I think Brickwood nailed it when they said it looks like the LG KG800. Check out photos for this phone and compare it yourself. Notice the subtle curve in the top and bottom. This doesn't match the current design of nice, flat sides, top and bottom and isn't consistent with any other iPod/iPhone designs.

2) Look at the scratches and crazing on the back. Do you know how hours of daily use and careless handling it would take to make a brand new anything look that traveled?

3) Finally, grab the picture and open it in Photoshop. I've been editing digital photos for 14 years. The pixel noise around the front button and the back logos is a dead giveaway.

This is the proverbial $3 bill.

Skepticism is your friend people. Just be patient and stop giving these hacks the bandwidth.