Gizmodo keeps getting the first of the first from Apple. Last week Gizmodo Brazil got their hands on some pictures of the 8GB iPhone 4 at Foxconn’s new Brazilian manufacturing plant. These particular phones won’t be hitting any shelves anytime soon though—they didn’t meet Apple’s manufacturing standards. Gizmodo Brazil editor-in-chief Pedro Burgos tells us that, though the note scribbled in the “reprovado” (“disqualified”) section is hard to read, he’s pretty sure it says “lenses sent stained.” Check this out:
Most of these photos don’t look like anything special—just snapshots of a familiar face. But when you get to the last one, a picture of a Foxconn Brazil quality control form, you’ll notice something strange: a different model number, N90A. This has already been rumored to represent a cheaper version of the iPhone4.
Apple usually makes a new, lower storage version of the past year’s iPhone to keep selling alongside the new one at a US$99 price point. Last year that was the 8GB iPhone 3GS. This year, it’ll in all likelihood be the 8GB iPhone 4
I hope you remember that lost iPhone 4 investigation last year when Apple charged Gizmodo and Jason Chen of stealing and leaking iPhone 4 specs much before its formal launch. The San Mateo County, California District Attorney’s Office announced its decision on who to charge today, noting in its brief press release that 22-year-old Brian Hogan—the one who allegedly found the device in a Silicon Valley bar—and his 28-year-old friend Sage Wallower had both been charged with misappropriation of lost property. “, as reported by Arstechnica. After consideration of the evidence, it was determined that no charges would be filed against employees of Gizmodo,” the DA wrote in its statement.
The San Mateo County DA feels that Gizmodo didn’t act illegally in the scandal but that Hogan and Wallower did. Gawker media, Gizmodo’s parent company, was unsurprisingly happy with the decision.
“We are pleased that the District Attorney of San Mateo County, Steven Wagstaffe, has decided, upon review of all of the evidence, that no crime was committed by the Gizmodo team in relation to its reporting on the iPhone 4 prototype last year,” Gawker said in a statement. “While we have always believed that we were acting fully within the law, it has inevitably been stressful for the editor concerned, Jason Chen, and we are glad that we can finally put this matter behind us.”
Finally Gizmodo and co. are off the hook while Hogan is charged with misappropriation while Sage Wallower was hit with the same along with possession of stolen property. Wallower is a UC Berkley student who was reportedly the intermediary Hogan used to shop the stolen iPhone 4 around to various tech sites.
Last evening on The Daily Show (US), Jon Stewart took Apple’s trip big time. He covered Gizmodo’s iPhone HD exclusive and then the police raid on Jason Chen’s home. He criticized Apple and Steve Jobs big time. Check this video shared via Gawker:
“Apple – you guys were the rebels, man, the underdogs. People believed in you. But now, are you becoming the man? Remember back in 1984, you had those awesome ads about overthrowing Big Brother? Look in the mirror, man! …It wasn’t supposed to be this way – Microsoft was supposed to be the evil one! But you guys are busting down doors in Palo Alto while Commandant Gates is ridding the world of mosquitoes! What the fuck is going on?!
…I know that it is slightly agitating that a blog dedicated to technology published all that stuff about your new phone. And you didn’t order the police to bust down the doors, right? I’d be pissed too, but you didn’t have to go all Minority Report on his ass! I mean, if you wanna break down someone’s door, why don’t you start with AT&T, for God sakes? They make your amazing phone unusable as a phone! I mean, seriously! How do you drop four calls in a one-mile stretch of the West Side Highway! There’re no buildings around! What, does the open space confuse AT&T’s signal?!
…Come on, Steve. Chill out with the paranoid corporate genius stuff. Don’t go all Howard Hughes on us.”
And Gizmodo goes on to say – This phone was lost, and then found. But from Apple’s perspective, it could have been considered stolen. I told them, all they have to do to get it back is to claim it—on record. This formal request from Apple’s legal department is that claim. It proves—if there was any doubt in your mind—that this thing is real.
Gizmodo does this every year – creates a short version of new iPhone video tour. If you dont want to spend too much time watching Apple’s video tour, you can watch this 4 minutes video instead.
We stripped out the promotional banter and iPhone 3.0 stuff—most which applies to all iPhones—leaving behind 4 minutes dedicated to iPhone 3GS: Improved speed, auto-focus camera, video and video editing, voice command and compass.
