Look, I’m not going to beat around the bush here: this video (and the one after the jump) introduces more questions than it answers. Acquired by Tinthte, it appears to show a prototype iPhone 4 (in white, no less), running… something we’ve never seen before.
The main debate is whether this is what iOS 5 could be or what iOS 4 could have been had Apple not come up with something else. So far, we’re leaning toward the latter. There’s an entirely new multi-tasking/app switching method, along with an alternative design for Spotlight search. Here’s the thing: neither of these “new” features really solve anything, and it seems strange that Apple would scrap the systems they’ve already got in place and confuse their users without any real benefit.
Here’s the facts:
- The hardware appears to be a prototype for a 64GB white iPhone
- There are certain things in the software (like TouchFighter, which Apple built for WWDC in 2008) that lend to this being a legit prototype
- Rather than showing apps in a slide-out drawer, screenshots of running apps are shown below a Spotlight tool bar. There doesn’t appear to be a way to access any app beyond the 9th most recent one, which may be why this system was scrapped (if that’s the case.)
What do you think? Is this an early look at iOS 5, or just a late look at what iOS 4 will never be?
[Via Engadget]