Prototype 3rd Gen iPod Touches with Camera Appear on eBay

105711 Picture 1
Two prototype iPod touches were listed on eBay for a short time this morning before they were removed. The listing was first noted on our forums with photos posted by 9 to 5 Mac before the listing was removed. According to a YouTube video by Bilsta57, the original eBay description was the following:

"Well..These were R & D units..One wont turn off and has some wierd OS...or lack of firmware So it will be dead when you get it,,,but will power up when you plug it in...The other won't turn on has a brown spot on the screen. Both have cameras"

Blista57 also reports that when questioned about their origins, the auction seller wrote "Sorry... Have no idea... I bought them from a guy at a flea market and he bought them from a live auction here in the Bay Area."

iPod touches with a back-facing camera had been extensively rumored last fall. Photos and 3rd party case designs of the devices both suggested the existence of the units. Ultimately, however, it is believed that the feature was removed at the last minute, and tear downs of the final shipping 3rd Gen iPod touches revealed an empty space where a camera might reside.

105712 Picture 5105711 Picture 2105712 Picture 3105956 Picture 4
Note that these images seem to represent last year's prototype models of the currently shipping iPod touch, and not any future model.

Popular Stories

apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...

Top Rated Comments

AriX Avatar
204 months ago
Definitely real. I have personally used some of this prototype software before (except much older- it was pre-1.0 OS) including BurnIn, Operator, and SkankPhone.

Operator is a test suite that automatically tests several of the internal components of the device (seen here, mislabeled as BurnIn: http://theiphonewiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Image:1.jpg)

BurnIn is a much more comprehensive testing suite that is fully automatic. It tests components like NAND, RAM, and various system functions like reboots: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPpTROJ48aQ
It then dumps you into Operator on completion.

SkankPhone is a program with integrated mini-apps that show basic components of the phone. There is a phone component for making phone calls, a test thing for the camera, a HORRIBLE web browser, a media player that doesn't seem to work (probably because I didn't install the prototype OS correctly), a few simple games/tests, and a bunch more.

Unfortunately the prototype iPhone software I used to have running on my iPhone 1G has become corrupt somehow; eventually I'll reinstall it and make a YouTube video showing off SkankPhone and the pre-1.0 OS.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)