iPhone 3G accidentally snaps photo in factory, reveals long lost siblings

Unless you hit the jackpot at an Apple Store, you aren't apt to see this many iPhone 3Gs in one place without planning a meetup. As the story goes, one particular lady picked up one of Apple's latest handsets, took it home and began checking things out. Curiously, a trio of images were already on the Camera Roll. Upon viewing them, she noticed two snaps overcome with blur and the one you see above -- likely a rare look into an iPhone 3G factory. Not that we haven't see Apple products give away their place of origin before, but still interesting nonetheless. Now, scurry along and check out your own roll to see if any hidden treasures are waiting.

[Via TUAW]

[Travis @ Jul 28th 2008 6:44PM]

maybe some factory insider is trying to tell us something

[xian06 @ Jul 28th 2008 6:56PM]

fake............. LOOK AT THE 1ST GEN SLIVER BACK

[who? @ Jul 28th 2008 7:01PM]

Like what?

All iPhone 3Gs have bombs built into them? ;-0 !

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 7:00PM]

xian: we know your mom's a silverback gorilla, but this is not the right place for therapy

[austin @ Jul 28th 2008 7:01PM]

xian - thats an illusion.
you can tell its a 3G because the ear speaker has silver mesh. the old one had black mesh.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jul 28th 2008 7:09PM]

That's just some warehouse in Russian that is hoarding unlocked iPhones to put on the black market at outrageous prices. $700 iPhones, anyone.

[Travis @ Jul 28th 2008 7:14PM]

maybe, just maybe they're trying to tell us that more phones are on the way and the shortage will be over soon??? possible, yes...likely, no

[loosely_coupled @ Jul 28th 2008 7:22PM]

I was just going to say how weird and scary it would be if it also had a picture of the factory workers in china pleading for help or something, or someone getting abused by the manager or something...

[david @ Jul 28th 2008 7:24PM]

xian not fake because 3g's have a thin silver strip then a black/ahite back which you can see when the silver ends

[Chuckles McGee @ Jul 28th 2008 7:26PM]

Meh, there are camcorders that have recorded other units being assembled on the line. Sort of creepy.

http://tiny.cc/d5Xxz

[nDee @ Jul 28th 2008 8:16PM]

The next morning the lady's iPhone shouted out "My name is Sunny."
Mean while all iPhones will be told from apple core to change their MobileMe pass code, result in world wide disaster.
Then sunny will save the world by sending virus to the server through Activation link.
Sounds familiar?

[james @ Jul 28th 2008 8:24PM]

let's take a look at mine...

OH MY GOD, STEVE JOBS PENIS!!!!

[Peter @ Jul 28th 2008 11:22PM]

im sure this is fake bucause i just saw the fullsized image. the black markings reads "补something号" which means "repair number something"...in chinese. why would a american apple factory write in chinese not english?

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 28th 2008 11:49PM]

Peter, you're joking right? American factories? lol

[Sirius @ Jul 29th 2008 5:47AM]

@Peter

They say "补IMEI号"... written in english too...

[WarMouse @ Jul 29th 2008 4:00PM]

Lemme take a look at your I.D., Mr. HELP I'M TRAPPED IN A LICENSE MAKING FACTORY!

[DJRome @ Jul 28th 2008 6:44PM]

yay for these. . . /sarcasm

[Dave @ Jul 28th 2008 7:46PM]

ditto...I thought with Block being gone the endless plethora of non-important Apple stories would be gone.

[Zak @ Jul 28th 2008 7:56PM]

Dave - you obviously don't get how this works. As long as people like you continue to comment in Apple-related articles, the popularity of these articles will continue to rise. More comments = more popular. Engadget will continue to run stories on topics that are popular.

Can't you just feel the irony? The Apple haters are the ones responsible for all the Apple articles, because they don't know how to shut up and simply not comment.

[Dave @ Jul 28th 2008 9:01PM]

Zak,

You obviously don't realize that just about every staff member on Engadget loves Apple so it wont change. Ass.

[Matt @ Jul 28th 2008 10:00PM]

Dave, you're an idiot, regardless of whether or not they "love" apple themselves the website is about popular gadgets and gadget topics.
If NO ONE comment on apple stories there would likely be very few of them period.

[Dave @ Jul 28th 2008 11:44PM]

Matt, if you're telling me that you consider gadget news consisting of pictures of where the (substandard) 3G iPhone is made, and there is no Apple bias, then why do we never see any N95 factory shots? or maybe some Touch Diamond/Pro factory shots?

Just coincidentally Apple products are the only ones taken from the factory? Or how about pulling apart a Touch Diamond? because that has more advanced hardware in it than the 3G iPhone, and I would actually be interested in seeing how they packed everything into it (since they did post the disassembling of the 3G iPhone).

[DJRome @ Jul 28th 2008 11:53PM]

Well, considering he did say popular, Apple is pretty up there. I have yet to see any numbers that would suggest N95's or Touch/Diamond outsell or outmarket iPhones. If Engadget is concerned with traffic (and they are), iPhones are the way to go. I'm not really tired of it, but I like to remark on their abundance of iPhone articles. I have one and I don't buy into the crazy hype, but they are a hot item.

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 6:46PM]

when will the iNeo save them all from their iMatrix?

[ben @ Jul 28th 2008 7:28PM]

Lay off the methamphetamine and jenkam xian, you've had enough today.

[Malikye @ Jul 28th 2008 7:28PM]

xian06,

calm down. but he's right: you failed...again

[Ignatius @ Jul 28th 2008 8:18PM]

Jeez. Aren't we an angry little child?

[andres @ Jul 28th 2008 10:23PM]

fighting on the internet is like competing in the special olympics, even if you win, you're still retarted.

[Kris @ Jul 29th 2008 1:37AM]

@ andres
That is freaken hilarious.

[mixmaven @ Jul 29th 2008 10:08AM]

@ andres
explain "retarted" ?

[John @ Jul 28th 2008 6:47PM]

could someone explain how this can happen?

[xian06 @ Jul 28th 2008 6:49PM]

thats what im saying how did it get activated

[Shane @ Jul 28th 2008 6:48PM]

Wait...Can you even take photos with an iPhone before it is activated? Perhaps some special test mode?

I've never had my hands on one so I honestly don't know...AT&T doesn't serve my area, let alone with 3G.

:-(

[Shane @ Jul 28th 2008 6:48PM]

Fail.

[The Joker @ Jul 28th 2008 6:49PM]

See, I KNEW they weren't made by elves in a quaint little workshop.

[Hold McGroin @ Jul 29th 2008 11:55AM]

It's probably quaint, in China, and very little fun. Also replace "elves" with "slave labor" and you've nailed it.

[michael.lerner @ Jul 28th 2008 6:51PM]

Cue the Apple cease and desist in 5, 4, 3..

[d @ Jul 28th 2008 6:53PM]

all i got on my iphone was porn.

[Ellianth @ Jul 28th 2008 6:57PM]

Would have been better if the picture showed children building them. Now that would have been a huge news story :p.

[Rick @ Jul 28th 2008 6:58PM]

B.F.D.!

Photos, Schmotos. You don't see much in these pictures.

[AOL Victim @ Jul 28th 2008 7:04PM]

Pretty sure it's Chinese written on those tags.

[Sly Fox @ Jul 28th 2008 7:05PM]

I can see apple fanboys everywhere beatin off to this picture.

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 7:08PM]

you brought it up first. what does that say?

[oGMo @ Jul 28th 2008 7:09PM]

"help I'm an iPhone trapped in a factory"?

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 7:10PM]

im in ur factorees, fotoing my cuzins

[Matt @ Jul 28th 2008 10:04PM]

ok, "phanboy", enough.
We get you love apple, thats cool, but stop it with the gay remarks.
To quote a comment from above "you fail...AGAIN"

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 10:22PM]

Hi Matt,

Wow, get beat up a lot and have to lash out at internet strangers? Try out some Zoloft.

[Matt @ Jul 28th 2008 10:44PM]

I'm perfectly happy thanks, and I happen to like both Apple and Microsoft to boot.
But your remarks are childish and annoying.

[Adam @ Jul 28th 2008 11:34PM]

I thought it was cute, maybe I'm lame but still...

[Andrew Borem @ Jul 29th 2008 8:53AM]

Why the hate for phanbouy. 7 out of 10 of his comments are hilarious, and the other three are good efforts. I don't see you being remotely enjoyable. Ever.