Gizmodo Gets Hold of Apple's Next iPhone

April 19, 2010 — -- Want a sneak peek at Apple's next generation iPhone? So does everyone else.

Tech news website Gizmodo got hold of a prototype of the iPhone 4G after it was left in a bar in Redwood City, Calif., and Gizmodo's analysis of its new features, along with video and pictures, is setting the web on fire.

The phone, which was disguised in a custom case to look like the iPhone 3GS, is "drastically new and drastically different from what came before," according to Gizmodo.

The new features include a front-facing video-chat camera, a better rear camera with a flash, a micro SIM slot (like the iPad), a secondary mic for noise cancellation and a 16 percent larger battery.

It also has a screen that, while smaller than the 3GS's, is "so high quality that it was impossible to discern individual pixels," Gizmodo reported.

Gizmodo makes a good case for this being an actual Apple prototype, but whether the phone was intentionally leaked is still in question.

Wired said this may be "the biggest leak from Apple we've ever seen."

But Tech Ticker believes it may have been a controlled leak, or possibly a discarded design.

"Given Apple's history to keep unreleased products tightly held to its chest, the leak of its high-profile device is surprising. And even if some leak happens -- no matter how small it is -- Apple does its best to take down the source by releasing its powerful legal force against it," Tech Ticker said.

"However, in this case, nothing has happened (at least so far), which indicates that either Apple did a controlled leak or Apple doesn't care about it anymore, since Steve Jobs will pull out a differently designed iPhone in June this year," Tech Ticker said.