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iPhone Prototypes Available On eBay

March 10, 2009
Two prototype iPhones have escaped from Apple's labs and ended up in the hands of one opportunistic eBay member. One of the iPhones is running a beta OS while the other is currently not functioning. The authenticity of the phones is still in question, but as more information has surfaced the likelihood of them being fake has diminished. The current owner claims that the one working iPhone was manufactured in China on week 49 of 2006. It utilizes a plastic matte screen instead of the glossy glass screen found in current models. The phone is said to be running the pre-launch iPhone OS version 03.06.01_G in comparison to the original iPhone which launched with version 03.11.02_G. The phone is in good working condition, and the seller claims that the device is able to make calls, browse the web, and even receive SMS. The other prototype iPhone isn't in nearly as good of condition. In an attempt to get the device working again, the seller replaced the original battery so the unit is currently disassembled. It has various scratches and is considered to be in "fair" cosmetic condition. It was manufactured in China as well, but it was created on week 50 of 2006. This unit utilizes the usual glass screen instead of plastic. The two prototypes were supposedly acquired from a bulk electronics reseller located somewhere in Texas. Other than this tidbit of information, the seller doesn't know much more about the phone's origins. The seller also reveals more interesting information from text located on the back casing of the phones:
The text on the back of the working phone: "Designed by Apple in California Assembled in China Model No. A1203 FCC ID:BCGA1203 Serial No.:YM64903KD22 IMEI:004401520024015" The text on the back of the broken phone: "This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be offered for sale, or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained. Serial No. YM65002JD22 IMEI No.:004401520034774"
We will assume that the "may not be offered for sale" portion was intended for Apple employees and not for the lucky eBay seller. The two iPhones are being sold as a package deal and the auction has over 60 bids with a current bid of $2,425 at the time of this writing. That amount is sure to climb even higher as the news of these prototype collectibles keeps spreading. For those with extra cash lying around, the auction ends tomorrow night. The seller currently has a perfect feedback rating. Update: The auction has been pulled from eBay as well as the video from YouTube. We are investigating the possibility that Apple caught wind of this news and had the seller remove all information. We will keep you posted. Update 2: We received word from the eBay member whose auction and YouTube video had been removed. As predicted, Apple was behind the whole thing. They contacted both companies to have the offending content removed. Sorry folks, no prototypes for you. We have embedded the seller's YouTube demonstration video below:
[via iLounge]

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