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Leaked iPhone 3G S Matte Finish iPhone Cases Were Real... or Canary Traps?

By , Thursday, Jun 11, 2009 at 7:42 am
15

leaked matte iPhone 3G S case

Way back in February a matte black next generation casing (for what's now known as the iPhone 3G S) made it's way around the internet. No one knew if it was real or not, and since WWDC introduced the iPhone 3G S with the same glossy finish as the previous generation, doubts -- they were raised.

According to Macrumors, however, the FCC ID and model numbers exactly match those released on the official, glossy, iPhone 3G S.

Yeahbuwhat?

Did Apple flirt with matte and change its mind? Did problems arise in with the mass production of the matte versions? Are the matte versions being held for some sort of holiday roll out?

Panic's Cabel Sassar (via DF) wonders on Twitter whether it just might have been one of Apple's infamous canary trap -- information left out to see if it gets leaked, and to catch the source of the leak. Tom Clancy, meet Steve Jobs...

Either way, somebody at Apple thought matte was an option. Are you sad we didn't get it?

Rene Ritchie

Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.

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  1. Yes, I am sad, but it didn't stop me from pre-ordering my black 32G 3G S.

  2. Iphonefanatic says:

    Yeah I am sad I ahte the plastic back it can get crack very easily!!

  3. Iphonefanatic says:

    hate*

  4. Chris says:

    My wish was it had the feel of the coating on my Newton MessagePad 2100. ;-)

  5. Big Willie says:

    There's a "MEH!" loose around here! :)

  6. Angel says:

    Who cares? I never roll without a case anyway... white/black glossy/matte. Makes no difference.

  7. Bokaj says:

    Besides, we all keep them in cases anyway so it's a bit of a redundant discussion, no?

  8. Al says:

    Not all of us use cases, I've still yet to find a case that looks as nice as my Apple designed iPhone. Mine has been naked for almost a year not and still looks great.

  9. Ron says:

    Could it be that this is a unfinished backing? Not polished or coated?

  10. Terry says:

    @Al Try Switch Easy, they make great cases.

  11. OmariJames says:

    I wanted the matte too.

    Either apple does know that people don't really like the platic back or because the platic back offers certain advantages that other matterials can't.

  12. BrianD says:

    Matte coating looks cheap. I ordered my 3G(S) cannot wait to get. I will be selling my 3G.

  13. Jose says:

    try this case. it's super thin and shows the logo.

    Seidio Innocase II and sold on this website. holster works well too.

  14. frog says:

    I've never used a case or screen protector. The plastic gets quite slippery at times, a matte finish would have been better in my opinion.

  15. John says:

    I worked for apple as a developer for 2 years and Matte Finish is a vinyl/plastic that we use for our internal prototypes before mass production.

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