iPhone prototype caught on video
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Mar 10th 2009 9:46AM
posted Mar 10th 2009 9:46AM
We found a quick video of the iPhone prototype that you've probably already bid on. The excitement is palpable as the person on screen clicks his or her way through menu items, checks out mobile web pages and generally does the sort of things that we imagine one does with a test unit. No doubt your curiosity's been piqued, and we don't blame you. With a current bid of $2,000 and over thirty-five hours left on the auction, this is probably as close as we'll ever get to the thing. Video after the break.
Update: Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later: it looks like Apple's lawyers had the auction (and the accompanying YouTube video) pulled. It was fun while it lasted!
Update: Thanks to our main man Steve, the video is back up... for now. See for yourself after the break.
Update: Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later: it looks like Apple's lawyers had the auction (and the accompanying YouTube video) pulled. It was fun while it lasted!
Update: Thanks to our main man Steve, the video is back up... for now. See for yourself after the break.
I think this would be AWESOME to get a hold of, especially for the DEVteam.. if they had a chance to dump the firmware and poke around, you could have a totally new OS modified to your liking. Im diggin the keyboard layout.
I'm pretty sure they already did:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=627449
"This video is not available in your country." What can I say...
I hope the communism thinking is not a part of engadged philosophy.
Do you know the harm this message is done? Tu US Second-Hand people?
We are monsters, we are bad, we are stupid and so sad...that WE DO NOT deserve to wiew - but only to contribute...
Shame...
RE Elvis:
"We are monsters, we are bad, we are stupid and so sad...that WE DO NOT deserve to wiew - but only to contribute..."
Ummm... the video is hosted by Youtube, not Engadget.. Most likely, you can blame whatever crappy government you live under for the block on the viewing.
I made a new YouTube account and i uploaded the video to it. If It gets taken down then i will just make a new account and upload it again i will put the links here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PgaVQSqZlI
thats sweet!
That it is....but would they not have changed the iphone significantly more. I was hoping they would go to MMS on the screen, or show something to do with copy/paste functionality, or something different.
Dev phone or not, is it really worth what it's going for? Honestly? Didn't think so...
Must be those chinese HiPhone makers!!!
"The ChiPhone , Remastered!"
well since you do it for winmo...
WTF IS THAT!
that is fuggly!
i will never get an iphone!
UGH!
+1
How fugly!
I WANT IT.
I WANT IT NOW.
You don't even have to tell me what the pros and cons are cause Apple is ON TOP of the cellphone market and I know this is gonna blow everything else away in a huge STORM.
We missed you too!
WOW!
Even the prototype is years beyond and SUPERIOR to any Nomkia/Smugsang/S.E handset today!
AHAHAHAHAH!
people scare me.
If only the production iphone was this responsive
damn if you didnt take the thought right outta my head! i'd go for uber simple GUI if it was snappier
Maybe if you stop smoking crack then it won't seem so unresponsive.
@Fernando
Maybe if you stop posting on Engadget everything will be better
UGLY
This may not be real, the body style is that of a modern iPhone, it maybe a hoax.
iLounge showed the same menu/OS working on an iPod Touch Einstein!
The iPhone team was split into hardware and software teams; the hardware guys flashed with bogus software and the software guys developed on bogus software. This must have been one of the hardware guys' fake software.
Now I wonder if an oddly looking handset running the actual iPhone OS turns up eventually.
Why is this only now showing up?
It's a lot faster than the real thing. Shows that Apple wasn't using transition animations to hid a lag or something. Impressive.
HA! Look at 1:20. At the bottom of the screen it says, "Say Hello to the Newton MessagePad 3000"!
Please i want this firmware...WAY BETTER than the current one
most "collectors" will pay just about anything for a prototype.. I dont think 2grand is out of this world.. If they have the money for it, they're not going to be hurting afterwards.. unless they put it in a bag.
This has to be from mid-2006 at least.
The date on the phone in the upper left says March of 2007...
I prefer that snappy OS over the excruciatingly slow OS it's got now.
Yeah, I've played around with a couple of them and they are unbearably slow at times...be it typing a text or waiting for the contacts menu to come up, or god forbid i want to multi-task, the thing will probably lose its nuts and bolts and explode in my hand a la MacBooks.
Isn't it strange that the ipod prototype was pulled from ebay recently by apple, stating it violated their IP and yet there has been no similar actions from apple over this?
The responsiveness is great, and clearly due to there being so little overhead for UI. I also really liked the speaker 'app' that shows the current speaker level.
Heh... "cereal" number
Some bits of the UI remind me of Kinght Rider's K.I.T.T. (from the 80's, not the stuf that is on now...)
Congrats to the engadget staffer with his winning bid of 3.5 grand (jumping the gun perhaps but it seems easy to predict, who else is that fanatic about phones)
If it is real, the winner is in for a treat and the seller better hope apple doesn't come after him. If it is fake.. then that's alot of $$ down the drain
"This video is not available in your country or domain" WTF! (UK btw)
Tim
I am getting the same thing on AT&T dsl in the USA
video is still available if you click through the main link to the translated site
same thin here link not work ???
Looks like Apple pulled the video..."This video is not available in your country or domain."
sme here the video isent avilable in your country or domain
Florida USA Bright House internet
"This video is not available in your country"
Youtube starts to suck!!!
Uk here, Anyone got a working link to the vid?
Youtube says I can't watch the video in my country :( The US of A?? Stupid Youtube, people really need to start using Vimeo.
The video has just been pulled down.
Why would they be using that OS on a 3G Iphone...at that point they already had a functional OS from the 2G. In addition, the ad on the apple site shows the 3G phone for sale. I know the ad is just conceptual but it proves my point that the 2G phone was out already at the time this "prototype" was being shown. My vote goes for hoax.
try here to see the video
http://www.nowhereelse.fr/prototype-iphone-video-17124/
It been pulled from ebay... apple are so boring : -(
Apple pulled down the eBay page and youtube video just like they did with the beta iPod at http://writersblocklive.com/selling-rare-ipod-2009-02 . The fact that they pulled both down makes me think the iPhones are legitimate, since Apple couldn't claim anything on a fake or spoofed product
uploaded to my youtube if it gits pulled ill just reupload it
screw apple
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjAmFkbX9RM
Hi!
I have a SE W960i prototype.
I want to sell it, and buy an HTC Magic.
Contact sztbruno gM email service:)
nice, responds almost as fast as my Storm!
Nah but really that's fast as hell if it's real. Too bad products are never that responsive after they get done loading it down with Flashy UI's and Bloat-ware.
I didn't get to see the video :(
The video has been removed because of a copyright claim by Apple. D:
Must be pretty legit, then.
can't find on ebay now
me either...apple must have whined to ebay (like earlier ipod testers) and had it taken down. last time i checked it was around $2,500.
prolly filmed with cycorder hahahaha
The complete serial number of the device was shown multiple times on video, which means it'll be easy for Apple to look up the IMEI and have it blacklisted. If this thing was working with AT&T until now, it won't be for long.
US providers don't have the ability to blacklist by IMEI. Only the UK has that.
Not to be rude, but, does anyone else think that the UI is quite ugly?