Rare iPhone 4 prototype appears on eBay with strange Death Star logo on the back

By chrisoldroyd
last updated

A rare Apple iPhone N90 prototype, the code name for the iPhone 4 series, has appeared for sales on eBay with a very strange logo on the back panel. Rather than the usual Apple logo which we all know and love, this prototype has a logo which appears to resemble the Death Star from the Star Wars movies.

The eBay description states that the iPhone 4 prototype has a storage capacity of 32GB. The back panel is not screwed to the shell like the final retail version of the iPhone 4; this prototype uses a back clamp system which has been broken so the back panel falls off very easily.

We have seen a few prototype iPhone models before, but not many that are still operational. This one has had a battery replaced but does still turn on and is fully operational. When we say operational, don’t expect to be able to make and receive calls or upgrade it to iOS 5. It only runs Apple’s test software suite, SwitchBoard.

If you want to get your hands on a piece of unique Apple history, you can make a bid of $4500 or more. If you really want to make sure you aren’t outbid you can contact the seller with an offer of $10,000 and it’s yours. That's if Apple doesn't have it removed first.

Update There is now a video of the iPhone 4 Prototype below.

Source: eBay (opens in new tab) via 9to5 Mac

chrisoldroyd
chrisoldroyd

UK editor at iMore, mobile technology lover and air conditioning design engineer.

13 Comments
  • Sounds fishy to me. In all likelihood, it's just a broken and tampered with iPhone 4 that some enterprising criminal put on Ebay to lure some unsuspecting idiot who has more money than sense. Will Paypal even allow a $10,000 transaction?
  • Sounds about right.
  • Concur
  • Shouldn't Apple technically own prototypes? Couldn't they just legally take it back? I don't know how these things work but it seems like that should be the case.
  • If it were a real Apple prototype, you know Apple security would have already descended upon the residence of whoever has it, as soon as this article was seen. There has been no followup report of an Apple security force deployment to retrieve any Apple prototype iPhone 4. That alone is proof enough that this is fake and an attempt at deception and grand larceny.
  • Hi, I agree with you that Apple security would have already descended upon the residence of whoever............ Thanks,
    www.zoogue.com
  • I think that looks more like a Pokeball than a Death Star.
  • IT'S A TRAP!!!!
  • Bwahahaa!! Well played, sir!
  • It's already been removed from eBay
  • The eBay auction is no longer listed as of ~11:30am central time. Apple owns these prototypes and did not give or sell them to any person. Therefore, no one would have the legal right to offer a prototype for sale on eBay. Even if it were 'found' or stolen, it still couldn't legally be offered on eBay.
  • that's not star wars. Looks like that Pokeman ball to me. "rare." looks to me like someone just switched the back, put prototype and is trying to sell it to the gullible with money to waste.
  • Looks like it may have been legit... it was removed.