Apple's 4th-generation iPhone revealed

Well, we told you so. The fourth-generation iPhone prototype that leaked its way out into the world over the weekend has found its way to Gizmodo, and they've examined it exhaustively enough to prove that it's the real thing. Not only does it show up in iTunes, Xcode, and System Profiler, but it has different product identifiers than the 3G or 3GS, and it's packed with Apple-labeled components inside. Unfortunately, they couldn't get it to boot out of recovery mode, but a number of new features and changes are evident just by holding it. Obviously, it's thinner than the 3GS, with smaller internal components and a larger battery inside the metal frame. There's also a front-facing camera, a larger and better camera with a flash on the back, a higher-res display that's slightly smaller than the current models, a second mic for noise cancellation, and that new back, which Giz seems a bit confused about but we're fairly sure is glass or ceramic. It's also three grams heavier than a 3GS, with a 16 percent larger battery and the same new MicroSIM slot used in the iPad.

We're also told the phone was found running iPhone OS 4.0 but that it was remotely killed before Giz could actually see it, and that they can't get it to boot because it requires a bespoke build of the OS. We're assuming Apple's hot on the trail of this thing, so hit the source link while you can and check a couple more pics after the break.

Apple's next iPhone: what we know (and what we don't)

The iPhone 4G? iPhone 4? iPhone HD? Simply "iPhone"? There's plenty we still don't know about Apple's upcoming handset, like the name for instance, but thanks to an unprecedented leak and a whole bunch of peripheral rumors, we've got just about the most info you could hope for going into a major Apple launch. Follow along after the break as we parse through what we know, what we've heard, and what we hope for in the next iPhone.

Industrial design
From all accounts, we're looking at it. The prototype Gizmodo obtained and which we scored photos of -- including a shot of one sitting near a locked down iPad -- is clearly Apple's, and according to John Gruber's sources, the "DVT" in its barcode means the phone is very late in its design cycle, and might even be exactly what we'll be seeing hit the shelves.


The phone sports an oh-so-familiar glass front, but instead of the rounded bezel there's a flat metal band running around the sides creating an ice cream sandwich of sorts. From the side the design is actually a lot like Nokia's N78, with some hints of Sony Ericsson C510 and T610 (one of the most famous examples of this sandwich aesthetic). Around back is the design's most interesting innovation, a flat, glass-like back. Apple has a 2006 patent for a "ceramic" enclosure that's highly durable, scratch-resistant and radio transparent, and the popular thinking is that this is being used here.

One very interesting aspect of the design are the very un-Apple-like vertical notches in the design, one on each edge. Some have thought that this might point to the non-final nature of the handset, but others are speculating based on the build of the device internally that two of the notches actually allow for side access to the battery, while the other two notches are there for aesthetic symmetry. With the MicroSIM card holder located on the side of the phone now, the paper clip-friendly hole on top would make for a convenient way to unlock the side. Meanwhile, Gizmodo has speculated that this hole could be for a noise canceling mic, another possibility, and their discovery of an "Authorized Service Provider Only" tab under the battery would seem to imply that it isn't user accessible.

The final tweak to the look and feel of the device are the all-metal side buttons. The mute switch, lock button, and volume buttons (now two separate circles instead of a rocker) are all silver colored now and made of metal. One potential for the newly separated volume buttons are as dedicated camera controls when the camera app is open, but that's just pure speculation. iPhone 4G: proof

Confirmed: Apple's next iPhone will have video chat, feature to be shown in ads directed by Sam Mendes

Well this can't be tremendously surprising. Apparently American Beauty director Sam Mendes is in the process of putting together a series of commercials for Apple's next iPhone, which according to a tipster is being referred to internally as the Mammoth / N90. Besides that tip (with a handful of juicy details), a trusted source has confirmed to us that the ads will feature at least one spot where a mother and daughter are having a video chat conversation using the new front-facing camera that's been spied on the face of that iPhone floating around Vietnam and Northern California. Adding weight to this story, a cursory search on Twitter revealed that there's at least one actress who is up for a role in the "f