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Déjà vu all over again

Another Apple Employee Loses Another iPhone Prototype at Another Bar

by Eric Limer | 1:29 pm, September 1st, 2011

So, after an Apple employee lost an iPhone 4 prototype in a bar — a prototype that wound up in Gizmodo’s hands and caused all kinds of trouble — it appears that at least one Apple employee took the opportunity to not learn his lesson and accordingly lost an iPhone 5 prototype (we think) in a bar, CNET reports. Now as bizarrely coincidental as this sounds, there are a few poetic coincidences we can’t draw. It’s not the same bar, almost certainly not the same employee and, worst of all, it hasn’t resulted in any fun information for us, the unwashed masses.

The phone was apparently lost at a bar in the Mission District of San Francisco, Cave 22. While Apple has been going to all lengths to try and get this thing back, understandably, its current whereabouts are unknown, to us at least. There appears to be a chance that it was sold on Craigslist for a scant $200, in which case, neither party may be aware that what they have is special. If that’s the case, either the iPhone 5 is pretty similar to the iPhone 4, the guy who found it was really drunk (or needs to get with the times) or it wasn’t actually an iPhone 5 prototype. Still, maybe some interesting information will surface.

Apple did manage to track the phone, electronically, to a house in Bernal Heights, but when questioned, the man who lived there denied any knowledge of the incident. While he freely admitted he had been at the bar the night the phone was lost, he claimed to have no idea where it was, even when presented with an offer for no-questions-asked cash in exchange for its return.

PCMag contacted a San Francisco Police Department spokesman to see if he could confirm or deny whether a police report was filed. He couldn’t. He did say, however, that while it was common enough to work along side a company’s private security during theft investigation, this was the only time he could remember that company representatives went along with uniformed officers into a private residence. So, there probably is a police report.

Regardless, it’s unlikely that the lost iPhone will be featured in an online teardown and evaluation considering that Gizmodo only narrowly avoided facing charges for their iPhone 4 shenanigans. That threat of legal action, especially by guys who have fought this same case once before, is probably a decent deterrent. Although they weren’t able to win last time, they probably have a pretty good idea how to do it better next time around. In the meantime, sit tight and wait so that when the iPhone 5 is announced, we can see the hype was overblown together.

(via PCMag)

  • Sven

    When someone steals YOUR iPhone, Apple computer is all smug, “We would NEVER invade someone’s privacy by tracking the phone. No matter what.”  BUT when it’s THEIR precious iPhone 5, you bet their going to bust out the tracking technology to locate it.  Every time an iPhone is plugged into iTunes, there’s an IP address that get’s reported to Apple.  All they would have to do is keep you informed of that number and you could do the investigation yourself as to where the phone is.  Why it ought to be an option in iTunes.  The ‘email me my IP address every time I connect’ option.  Apple is so smug it makes me want to puke.

  • eyebrow-up!

    They (“Apple”) used Jason Chen last time for publicity…(Why are they doing this again ?)

    Try something new Apple (you’re suppose to be the innovator) 

  • eyebrow-up!

    2 Calif. men charged with selling iPhone prototypeAP – 1 hr 46 mins agoSAN MATEO, Calif. (AP) — Two Northern California men are charged with misdemeanors for selling a lost Apple iPhone 4 they found last year in a bar.The San Jose Mercury News (http://bit.ly/ntphWr ) says attorneys for 22-year-old Brian Hogan, of Redwood City, Calif., and 28-year-old Sage Wallower, Emeryville, Calif., entered not guilty pleas Thursday on behalf of the two men who didn’t attend the San Mateo County hearing.Hogan is charged with one count of misappropriation of lost property. Wallower is charged with misappropriation of lost property and possession of stolen property.The iPhone prototype was found in a German-theme Redwood City bar in March 2010. Prosecutors say Hogan sold it to the Gizmodo.com gadget blog for $5,000.Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs called personally to get the phone back.The blogger wasn’t charged.(WHAT HAPPENED TO “FINDER’S KEEPERS”?  ISN’T POSSESSION 9/10 OF THE LAW?)

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