Earlier today, Hong Kong technology site UMPC leaked a series of photos of the next iPhone. Mr. Gadget thinks that was not the next iPhone. They are only iPhone OS 3.0 screen shots. But, if you read the source from Hong Kong carefully, you will know they are not talking about iPhone OS 3.0. According to our Chinese winandmac team (which editors know Chinese), they are really talking about the next iPhone.
In addition, Mr. Gadget seems don’t know too much about iPhone OS 3.0. In the latest beta 5, there are still no digital compass nor video capture app or options by default.
Still, digital compass and video capture may be possible to be enabled by modifying some files of existing iPhone beta 5. There was a screenshot at here which shows the hack which enabled the video capture button. But, the latest photos posted earlier today shows that he was really taking photos of something. The auto focus picture at here looks really true. The background is the resturant in Hong Kong. You can see there were Chinese menu at the back (right side of the photo). It is not easy to fake.
Also, there are still no method to enable the digital compass app in the current OS 3.0 beta. Hence, although the original Hong Kong source removed all the photos, it is still possible that was the next iPhone.
Update: one reader quickly emailed us about Mr. Gadget’s comment. It is worth to read (edited for Grammar),
I can read Chinese…and I’m sorry to tell you that..the article did metioned the phone he tested was a new iPhone with auto-focus and digital compass.
And he told readers that is an engineering prototype, so the machine may not look the same as the coming iPhone 3rd Gen.
So, don’t trust Google translate all the time. I don’t think Larry and Sergey (Google’s founder) know Chinese.
Also…some features like digital compass, auto-focus, video capture is not available on current iPhone/iPhone 3G even with the latest iPhone OS 3.0 beta installed.
It’s true that some secret screenshots have been leaked out like those related to video recording, but NOT ALL of them. And the old leaked screenshots are not identical to the UMPCFever’s. For example, look at the upper left, their carrier is 3 not AT&T.
You may say the poster may modified the image before showing it, but, some screenshots like digital compass and auto-focus are new. None of them has been leaked before.
I’m sorry Mr Gadget, but you get everything wrong.
btw, the guy in UMPC Fever DID mentioned why he didn’t take the shots on the body/case. Don’t trust the translate server anymore. Look for a friend who can read Chinese (more specifically should be Cantonese, some Hong Kong bloggers use Cantonese that many people in Mainland China & Taiwan don’t understand.)
[via Mr. Gadget]
