IMO this could very likely be a free publicity stunt by Apple. In reality what do they have to lose? Get the phone out and see what the reaction is. If its not good fix it, likewise if the reaction is good push the release.
I doubt that's the case, if only because Apple has always kept any new device completely secret.
Probably because you don't have enough revenue yet on your contract for the smart phone upgrade.
Which seems kind of ridiculous considering I've been with them in total for 2.5 years, (and 3.5 years prior I was using Pay as you Go) my monthly bill is usually between $80 and $120 and I've paid on time all the time (upgraded once though).
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Originally Posted by Temporary User
Are iphones really $800 retail though?
Or I mean to say would they be if sold directly from apple or places that didn't care if you signed a contract or not.
The 32 GB is. The 16 GB is $700 and the 8gb 3G is $600. You can go to an Apple store and buy a no-contract one or even get a new contract (and probably upgrade, too) with any of the carriers in the store. I almost did this until I realized $600 for a phone was insane.
Looks like I was wrong to be cynical about the 'lost in a bar' story. Ah, the wonders of booze...
I call bs on the whole bar story. Sure sounds like a plant by apple to drum up PR before the release.
Why would Apple pull a complete 180 in their approach to unveiling products when the whole 'keep everything completely secret until the official unveiling' has been so effective? Doesn't make a lick of sense. Apple has always sought to control any and all information about their products prior to release, they are notorious for it.
Why would Apple pull a complete 180 in their approach to unveiling products when the whole 'keep everything completely secret until the official unveiling' has been so effective? Doesn't make a lick of sense. Apple has always sought to control any and all information about their products prior to release, they are notorious for it.
Do you believe that story though? Just seems so fishy.
That someone got drunk and lost their phone? What's fishy about that? I see it every weekend.
That some "random drunk guy" tells them to take the phone...that the guy takes the phone and than figures he should tinker with it and to top it all off...sells it to gizmodo or whichever site leaked it.
I don't know. Its possible...just doesn't seem probable.
That some "random drunk guy" tells them to take the phone...that the guy takes the phone and than figures he should tinker with it and to top it all off...sells it to gizmodo or whichever site leaked it.
I don't know. Its possible...just doesn't seem probable.
Once you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however unlikely or whatever that holmsian quote is!!
Apparently Apple is pissed about this, talking about how it was stolen. If they were disingenuously acting mad AND it came out that they did indeed leak this as a stunt then Apple would have all sorts of ugly stuff over their face.
Also one of the engadget guys posted an "unrelated" twitter about his surprise at the law in cali being that by knowingly buying a stolen product you can be fined xxxx dollars. Seems like they passed for erm, ethical reasons/not wanting to get sued the crap out of.
Gizmodo reputedly paid as much as 10,000 or as 'little' as 5,000 + a portion of advertising revenues.
Last edited by Flames0910; 04-19-2010 at 11:19 PM.
I doubt that's the case, if only because Apple has always kept any new device completely secret.
They carefully leak stuff all the time. They don't keep things completely secret anymore, they just control everything including how information is leaked.
If this wasn't a plant, there would have been a take down notice instantly. Apple legal would have been all over it.
I'm not the most tech savvy guy, but since it states that that letter was sent via email, is it odd to have a color apple symbol at the top, along with a small address footer at the bottom?
That letter to me looks like it would be sent in the mail more than email.
Don't ask why it's the one thing I actually noticed in the letter either..
I'd be okay with the next iPhone looking just like that. Watch them redesign it all over again because of this leak, or something.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Temporary_User
I'm not the most tech savvy guy, but since it states that that letter was sent via email, is it odd to have a color apple symbol at the top, along with a small address footer at the bottom?
That letter to me looks like it would be sent in the mail more than email.
Probably just formatting embedded inside the email. Or a scanned & attached file? Having images in an e-mail isn't exactly impossible.
I would suggest that the other possibility is that the guy felt like making some extra money by "losing" his phone to Engadget or Gizmodo. But why risk a high paying Apple job for $5000-10000...
I would suggest that the other possibility is that the guy felt like making some extra money by "losing" his phone to Engadget or Gizmodo. But why risk a high paying Apple job for $5000-10000...
yea you bet, i know i wouldn't risk it.
although the guys facebook apparently says his dream is to meet steve jobs. maybe this was a way to do that? lol
They carefully leak stuff all the time. They don't keep things completely secret anymore, they just control everything including how information is leaked.
If this wasn't a plant, there would have been a take down notice instantly. Apple legal would have been all over it.
I don't see how they'd have grounds for a takedown notice, you have to diligently protect things like this in order to benefit from laws that prevent disclosure through things like espionage. Giving a prototype to a staffer who gets drunk and loses it doesn't sound all that diligent now does it?
That some "random drunk guy" tells them to take the phone...that the guy takes the phone and than figures he should tinker with it and to top it all off...sells it to gizmodo or whichever site leaked it.
I don't know. Its possible...just doesn't seem probable.
Go to a bar this weekend and hang out for a while, you'll likely see a similar scenario play out. Drunk person leaves phone, another drunk person points out said phone to someone else, that someone picks up the phone and fiddles with it (or pockets it in the case of an expensive phone). It gets taken home, and the process of figuring out how to profit begins.
The only part of the story I don't believe is the 'we waited around for him to come back' part. That's just somebody trying to pretend they didn't pocket the phone right away.
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