Apple have been calling in the services of the police and scrambling to find a lost iPhone 5 prototype that was reportedly left in a Mexican restaurant called Cava22 in San Francisco. A similar incident took place in April last year when an Apple employee left behind another valuable prototype. According to reports the device has not been returned to Apple and has been sold on Craigslist.
The iPhone 5 prototype was being tested by a selected employee who was given the opportunity to test the device’s behaviour outside of the Apple laboratories. Worsening the situation the phone has been sold on Craigslist for a measly $200 (£123) to an unknown buyer making it even harder for Apple to retrieve.
Apple thought they had tracked down the phone using a location tracking system built into the iPhone however when they arrived at the address the owner denied all knowledge of the device’s existence. Furthermore, a thorough search was carried out with the home owner’s permission and nothing was found. Commenting on the whole situation the owner of Cava22 Jose Valle said: “I guess I’ll have to make my drinks a little less strong.”
The latest iPhone model was expected to be released within the next few months. However, this recent development could have a serious effect on the release dates for the device and could potentially stall it for some time. The newer versions are expected to have more powerful processors, better displays and improved antennas (following the issues raised by the iPhone 4).
