The folks at Gizmodo today released photos of what they are purporting is a prototype of Apple’s forthcoming iPhone. That’s all well and good.
While I’m interested in the specs Gizmodo shared from its time with the device and suspect they are more on the authentic side of the fence than the fake, this kind of report makes me wonder to what means we’re willing to go in order to drudge up these kinds of devices that have yet to be released. Maybe it’s time to question what role the tech media plays in the wireless industry at large.
It’s no secret that companies like Apple, Motorola and HTC make a living off carefully controlled leaks and executive “slip ups” that drive hype and curiosity surrounding the impending launches of their products. Remember when Eric Schmidt and Lowell McAdam were caught on camera, long before the launch of the Droid, holding Android phones (oops!)? I’m not sure I believe that was much of an accident. The Droid was a masterpiece in marketing and the “unofficial” crumbs along the trail leading to launch were all a part of the show.
To the extent that multi-billion-dollar companies continually exploit a scoop-hungry media with scraps and clues in an effort to drum up interest for their new products, I can see where Gizmodo’s report might give everyone reason for applause (especially when it could be the first real scoop on Apple, a company notorious for its climate of corporate secrecy). Nevertheless, a few things bother me about how this one leak in particular was handled.
Lost & Found
If I found a phone in a bar, I’d return it to the bar in case some poor hung-over dude came looking for it the next day. That’s not a claim to my moral superiority but rather what I honestly believe 90 percent of the bar-going public would do because they know how much it would suck to lose their own phone. I’ll concede that maybe I’m being naïve.
While enjoying a massive amount of site traffic, the authors of today’s Gizmodo post – This is Apple’s Next iPhone – claim that the phone was originally found in a bar in Redwood City, Calif., camouflaged in an iPhone 3G case. The post’s authors spent a week with the device and of course, the first thing they did was remove the case.
The report goes on to detail a complete dismantling of the phone, so it’s probably not going back to its rightful owner. I guess they weren’t too concerned with any employee who could lose his or her job as a result of his/her misstep. Unless, of course, it was planted in the bar, in which case you have to question the how and why.
The fact is that this phone belonged to someone. You can preach “possession is nine-tenths of the law” ’til the cows come home and I’m still not comfortable with the way this one went down. In its report, Gizmodo goes so far as to almost gleefully announce that it has stolen property in its possession. They contacted “the Apple-connected John Gruber from Daring Fireball,” who confirmed in the post for them that Apple has indeed lost a prototype iPhone and wants it back.
Let’s go back to our initial scenario of finding an iPhone in a bar. Let’s say I really want this iPhone I’ve just found and decide to keep it. The only reason I’m not picked up for theft when I dismantle it is because I didn’t record and post on the Internet for all to see said dismantling. Maybe I’m wrong. I’m certainly not a lawyer, but whether the victim is an employee or a corporate entity, you have to wonder about keeping a piece of property that doesn’t belong to you.
What If It’s Not True
Remember back when our friend Don Rumsfeld suggested that the United States should have an Office of Disinformation? After watching the lead-up to the iPad, I’m almost convinced that Apple has something to this effect. For a while there, I was beginning to think the iPad would have a built-in masseuse and barber.
At this point, Gizmodo’s blog has drifted some way from objective reporting and into the territory of tabloid sensationalism. By 10 a.m. Central, the iPhone post already had seen more than 1.3 million page views. At that point, you can understand the motive for posting an item if it’s guaranteed to generate that kind of buzz. The fact is, almost anything with Apple’s name in the headline gets clicks.
But would you steal to get those kinds of page views, and does Gizmodo, as a “blog,” operate beyond those ethics to which other “publications” are held? I’m not calling for the regulation of blogs; I think they’re a healthy part of the media ecosystem and best left untouched. Nevertheless, as much as I enjoy reading Gizmodo, I would suggest that readers of blogs be a bit more critical of how information is gathered and to what extent it’s really the way they think the game should be played.
Apple Wins Again
Reading the rumors around the tech arena is a little like watching afternoon soap operas: There’s always a cliff-hanger ending and the only real benefactors of your watching them are the network and the actors and actresses. In this scenario, Apple emerges as the network and perhaps Gizmodo is the actor. Both get paid, regardless of the quality of their product, and you’re left lounging on the couch, munching on a bag of potato chips.
Apple wins here, whether Gizmodo returns the phone or not. Gizmodo comes in a close second, but it’s still an impromptu pawn in Apple’s marketing game. My opinion on this matter is undoubtedly an unpopular one and I understand why. I’m as hungry for the specs on the next iPhone as anyone, but after seeing this latest exhibit, I’m left wondering at what cost and to whose benefit.
