The Interwebs are a-flitter with talk about the next-gen iPhone, expected Monday.
My preferred source for iPhone chatter is Gizmodo, especially since they’re the source of one of the biggest product leaks in Apple history.
To summarize, an Apple software engineer left a prototype at a bar where he had been celebrating his birthday. It was found by another bar patron who attempted to contact Apple when he realized it was no ordinary iPhone 3Gs. Gizmodo got a hold of the bricked prototype for $5,000 and dissected it. They became convinced it was a prototype of a next-gen iPhone and posted a gazillion blogs about it. Apple wanted it back and got it. (Here’s a page with links to all chapters of this saga of geek curiosity.)
I’m interested to see if Apple handles this release any differently considering the leaked info. Product leaks are a fact of life nowadays, and I’m curious to see if the usual pomp-and-circumstance will be toned down. I think the smart thing to do would be to acknowledge the leak with a wink or a joke and swiftly shift to talking about the features.
Will the leakiness spoil the unveiling? Probably not. There are almost certainly features and functionality that you simply cannot glean by dissecting a bricked phone. The leak has generated so much speculation from bloggers and Apple fans, it could end up being a boon for sales.
