Apple: “Give us Back our iPhone 4G”, Gizmodo Quotes Leonidas: “Come and Get It”

April 21, 2010 - By Phineas Delgado

That’s not what really happened. Apple does want their iPhone 4G back. Gizmodo didn’t really put it in those terms, but I really wish the exchange had gone down that way. It does seem, though, that the rumor mill was finally right, at least as it related to the Super-Secret iPhone 4G. At least in that the mystery object really does belong to Apple. How are we so certain now, after we weren’t convinced when Gizmodo’s experts took the thing apart and confirmed it? Well, a letter published yesterday, from Apple’s top lawyer and Senior VP Bruce Sewell, seems to have been taken pretty seriously by Gizmodo. I’d say that’s as much confirmation as we’re going to get that the “unit” (as Apple puts it) is a bona-fide iPhone 4G.

Before we get too defensive on behalf of Gizmodo, it should be noted that Apple’s letter did stop short of making any real legal threats (which is unlike them, considering their recent battles with HTC and Google). Gizmodo, in true tabloid fashion, posted the official letter on their site late Monday. What have we really learned from this drama, though?

In the letter, Apple states, “It has come to our attention that GIZMODO is currently in possession of a device that belongs to Apple. This letter constitutes a formal request that you return the device to Apple. Please let me know where to pick up the unit.”

Much like the hapless geek who gets busted at the frat party when the cops show up, Gizmodo Editorial Director Brian Lam wants nothing to do with the mysterious iPhone anymore. Apparently, he told Apple that it was “…burning a hole in their pockets.” and that Gizmodo will be “happy to see it returned to the rightful owner” now that they “know it’s not some knockoff”. Right… I’ll buy that when it rains orange juice and pigs fly.

There is still no word, either, on the hapless Apple stooge who left the poorly disguised phone in public in the first place. I mean how many beers did this guy have if he didn’t even want to check the time (who wears a watch anymore), or text someone, or check his email, or call a cab. I’ve left my phone at home, or in the car, but never behind at a table…or worse, on a barstool. This is why I think, as theorized in another Geek Shui Living iPhone 4G post on the subject, Apple may have changed marketing strategies from ninja-style, super-secrecy to blatant rumor-mongering and product plants. Why shouldn’t they? Anyone who doesn’t have AT&T (especially us Verizon flunkies) has been foaming at the mouth over the long held idea that other carriers would eventually have access to the iPhone, since a SIM-free version of the iPhone could become a reality after their exclusivity deal with AT&T expires.

If this WAS an accident, though, one has to wonder how Apple will respond to Gizmodo’s actions. Generally speaking, the First Amendment (which covers Freedom of the Press for those of you who failed Civics class) prevents journalists from being prosecuted for being in possession of stolen documents or intellectual property, or for purveying it to the masses. However, the often paranoid and famously secretive Apple may find other ways to persecute (not prosecute) Gizmodo.

All in all, it seems that we’re left with more questions than answers. Even this expected action from Apple still leaves much to the imagination, and, in the end, this reporter thinks there’s a lot going on here that we don’t know about. What we do know is that we can expect the iPhone 4G, with the new bells and whistles of OS 4.0, to again raise the bar in terms of smartphone usability and function, and it may be Apple’s ace in the hole against RIM, HTC and Google. Even if the design changes (which it shouldn’t, the prototype is very nice looking), we’re still looking at a redesigned phone that has dual cameras (adding a front facing camera for video conferencing), a bigger battery, and a higher resolution screen.

Darn it… I already want one.

Update: According to an April 21, 2010; 12:09 PM ET post on MSNBC.com, Jason Chen, Editor of Gizmdo, confirms the iPhone 4G has been returned to Apple, its rightful owner. It would appear that now (as long as Apple doesn’t actually sue Gizmodo) the saga has, indeed, concluded with a happy ending.