iPhone prototype caught on video

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.

[OMGizzle! @ Mar 10th 2009 9:54AM]

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.

[Ed @ Mar 10th 2009 10:06AM]

I'm pretty sure they already did:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=627449

[Elvis @ Mar 10th 2009 1:54PM]

"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...

[Don @ Mar 10th 2009 3:17PM]

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.

[steven @ Mar 10th 2009 4:18PM]

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

[dcon @ Mar 10th 2009 9:56AM]

thats sweet!

[Rahim @ Mar 10th 2009 5:44PM]

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.

[Dead_Rebel @ Mar 10th 2009 9:59AM]

Dev phone or not, is it really worth what it's going for? Honestly? Didn't think so...

[Zunavio @ Mar 10th 2009 11:25AM]

Must be those chinese HiPhone makers!!!

"The ChiPhone , Remastered!"

[ALEIS @ Mar 10th 2009 9:59AM]

well since you do it for winmo...
WTF IS THAT!
that is fuggly!
i will never get an iphone!
UGH!

[superhobo @ Mar 10th 2009 10:11AM]

+1

How fugly!

[Flashpoint @ Mar 10th 2009 9:59AM]

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.

[Sharakar @ Mar 10th 2009 10:37AM]

We missed you too!

[iHenchman#1 @ Mar 10th 2009 10:00AM]

WOW!

Even the prototype is years beyond and SUPERIOR to any Nomkia/Smugsang/S.E handset today!

AHAHAHAHAH!

[Najakwa @ Mar 10th 2009 10:04AM]

people scare me.

[Nero3000 @ Mar 10th 2009 10:05AM]

If only the production iphone was this responsive

[OMGizzle! @ Mar 10th 2009 10:20AM]

damn if you didnt take the thought right outta my head! i'd go for uber simple GUI if it was snappier

[Fernando @ Mar 10th 2009 10:39AM]

Maybe if you stop smoking crack then it won't seem so unresponsive.

[Sk8rman @ Mar 11th 2009 5:31AM]

@Fernando

Maybe if you stop posting on Engadget everything will be better

[Saku @ Mar 12th 2009 1:55PM]

UGLY

[Josh @ Mar 10th 2009 10:09AM]

This may not be real, the body style is that of a modern iPhone, it maybe a hoax.

[Sax25 @ Mar 10th 2009 10:40AM]

iLounge showed the same menu/OS working on an iPod Touch Einstein!

[KirbyMeister @ Mar 10th 2009 5:49PM]

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.

[roen @ Mar 10th 2009 6:33PM]

Why is this only now showing up?

[TareX @ Mar 10th 2009 10:13AM]

It's a lot faster than the real thing. Shows that Apple wasn't using transition animations to hid a lag or something. Impressive.

[vindication84 @ Mar 10th 2009 10:16AM]

HA! Look at 1:20. At the bottom of the screen it says, "Say Hello to the Newton MessagePad 3000"!

[ButtmanBegins @ Mar 10th 2009 10:17AM]

Please i want this firmware...WAY BETTER than the current one

[OMGizzle! @ Mar 10th 2009 10:21AM]

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.

[dagamer34 @ Mar 10th 2009 10:26AM]

This has to be from mid-2006 at least.

[flaxbourton @ Mar 10th 2009 10:36AM]

The date on the phone in the upper left says March of 2007...

[giantenemycrab @ Mar 10th 2009 10:29AM]

I prefer that snappy OS over the excruciatingly slow OS it's got now.

[Hamidxa @ Mar 10th 2009 10:35AM]

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.

[Doppelganger @ Mar 10th 2009 10:35AM]

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?

[BDizzleFizzle @ Mar 10th 2009 11:51AM]

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.

[DT @ Mar 10th 2009 11:21AM]

Heh... "cereal" number

[Marcello @ Mar 10th 2009 11:48AM]

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...)

[Wwhat @ Mar 10th 2009 12:05PM]

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)

[Josh @ Mar 10th 2009 12:26PM]

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

[Tim @ Mar 10th 2009 12:39PM]

"This video is not available in your country or domain" WTF! (UK btw)

Tim

[Enrico Ferrari @ Mar 10th 2009 12:44PM]

I am getting the same thing on AT&T dsl in the USA

[Enrico Ferrari @ Mar 10th 2009 1:00PM]

video is still available if you click through the main link to the translated site

[bleubox3-1 @ Mar 10th 2009 1:45PM]

same thin here link not work ???

[zaker54802 @ Mar 10th 2009 12:55PM]

Looks like Apple pulled the video..."This video is not available in your country or domain."

[angelwolf71885 @ Mar 10th 2009 1:50PM]

sme here the video isent avilable in your country or domain

Florida USA Bright House internet

[aNo @ Mar 10th 2009 1:55PM]

"This video is not available in your country"

Youtube starts to suck!!!

[cappuccinoconspiracy @ Mar 10th 2009 2:01PM]

Uk here, Anyone got a working link to the vid?

[Dane Elshof @ Mar 10th 2009 2:16PM]

Youtube says I can't watch the video in my country :( The US of A?? Stupid Youtube, people really need to start using Vimeo.

[Michael Leung @ Mar 10th 2009 2:12PM]

The video has just been pulled down.

[Chris Davis @ Mar 10th 2009 2:21PM]

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.

[angelwolf71885 @ Mar 10th 2009 2:32PM]

try here to see the video

http://www.nowhereelse.fr/prototype-iphone-video-17124/