IPhone 4G hands-on

I'll play along even tough I'm pretty sure Engadget is just faking this all to drive some traffic. Probably an old 2G prototype. 80GB might suggest a 1.8" mechanical hard drive inside. A "different OS" would suggest an early build of iPhone OS or some other internal mutation. The name is also simply "iPhone" like the original 2G. The thickness, not hidden by rounded or angled corners, would have been a lot more par for the course circa 2006-2007. Why leak it now? Probably going to end up on eBay in a few days and the owner wanted some free advertising.

It's a pathetic fake I would have thought beyond even Engadget.

Error level analysis on the backside shot indicates that the logos and text were 'shopped. Also, the montage they added to the original post has a backside with a completely different, non-Apple logo.

http://errorlevelanalysis.com/permalink/2986851/

Design-wise, it looks like a step backwards: I don't buy it.

I'm guessing this is a development mule to test the new internals. I'd be surprised if that's the actual iPhone HD case.

A SIM tray on the side makes sense if they are filling up the upper area with an additional camera.

Even though the aluminum PowerBook look would be a natural change, it would make it a big less pocketable than the current slick plastic pill shape.

This easily Engadget's best reporting yet.