Apple By Ryan Whitwam Oct. 6, 2014 1:38 pm
Apple plays thing pretty close to the chest when it comes to unreleased hardware, so it’s a big deal any time prototype hardware finds its way out of its testing labs. Case in point, there’s a 64GB iPhone 6 prototype on eBay right now that’s at nearly $100,000 with three days left on the auction. But hey, free shipping.
These test devices are usually considered Apple property, even if they fall into the hands of a member of the general public. Thus, you won’t get away with selling them. However, in this instance the seller has a fantastical story of how the prototype iPhone came to be in his or her hands. Apparently, the seller ordered a new Verizon iPhone 6, but the box contained only this prototype device. If it was purchased as an upgrade, then Apple kind of sold it. So maybe that makes it legit?
The device itself has no FCC markings on the back and the Lightning port is red. Apple often uses red circuit boards on prototype devices, so the red port makes some sense. Parts of the build also seem a little bit rougher than the final version. The software is not a standard build of iOS 8, but rather a testing suite with apps like Reliability, USBHost, and ThermalDOE. Clearly this is not something consumers were supposed to see. Inside it 64GB of storage, not that you’ll actually be able to use it. There are probably also some internal differences in the construction. Perhaps the buyer will be able to gain some insight into this whole bendgate fiasco.
This leaked prototype is being sold as-is, meaning that someone could spend $100,000 on a rare iPhone only to have Apple remotely nuke it. If you are brave or foolhardy enough to go after this piece of Apple history, prepare to spend big.
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These test devices are usually considered Apple property, even if they fall into the hands of a member of the general public. Thus, you won’t get away with selling them. However, in this instance the seller has a fantastical story of how the prototype iPhone came to be in his or her hands. Apparently, the seller ordered a new Verizon iPhone 6, but the box contained only this prototype device. If it was purchased as an upgrade, then Apple kind of sold it. So maybe that makes it legit?
The device itself has no FCC markings on the back and the Lightning port is red. Apple often uses red circuit boards on prototype devices, so the red port makes some sense. Parts of the build also seem a little bit rougher than the final version. The software is not a standard build of iOS 8, but rather a testing suite with apps like Reliability, USBHost, and ThermalDOE. Clearly this is not something consumers were supposed to see. Inside it 64GB of storage, not that you’ll actually be able to use it. There are probably also some internal differences in the construction. Perhaps the buyer will be able to gain some insight into this whole bendgate fiasco.
This leaked prototype is being sold as-is, meaning that someone could spend $100,000 on a rare iPhone only to have Apple remotely nuke it. If you are brave or foolhardy enough to go after this piece of Apple history, prepare to spend big.
More...
