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?