Just because the iPhone 4 is now closing in on a year old doesn't mean it shouldn't get some rumors of its own any more.  Even though iPhone 5 rumors are starting to pop up like weeds, M.I.C. Gadget has come across what appears to be a prototype iPhone 4 with 64GBs of memory.

A 64GB version of the iPhone has been rumored for ages now, but it never seems to materialize.  For whatever reason Apple has held the line at 8, 16 and 32GBs, but the 64GB version seems inevitable at some point.

M.I.C. Gadget goes to great lengths to show this as an actual iPhone prototype, comparing it extensively with the infamous model Gizmodo got a hold of prior to the iPhone 4 launch.  The back of the phone definitely matches up with what seen on the previous leaked version with an "XXGB" listing for capacity and various other "X" marks on the handset.  (Yes, there is a plastic coating clearly visible, they did lift it in some photos to show that the printing was on the phone and not the coating.)

iPhone 4 64GB prototype

While speculation is running that this may be a prototype of an iPhone 4 refresh, or even a potential iPhone 5, I think this is indeed a prototype, but a prototype that dates back to pre-iPhone 4 launch.  Take a look at this picture below and pay attention to the version number.

iPhone 4 prototype iOS ver

If this was a current prototype, don't you think it would at least be running iOS 4.2.1, the eventual public release of 4.2, that came out last Nov.?  That isn't even taking into account the upgrades that version of the operating system has seen since then.  True 4.1 was released last Sept., but that still puts this phone's operating system nearly six months out of date, making it seem more like the owner of the prototype upgraded at some point.  It is possible this was a test handset just to see how that memory would work in an iPhone, but I tend to think this is neither an iPhone 4 refresh or the iPhone 5.  I do, however, think it is a legitimate Apple prototype of some sort, just not what a lot of theories are saying it is.  (don't you also love the white iPhone just nonchalantly hanging out in the background of this pic?)

In short, it's interesting, we do think it's real, but we think it may be more of an experiment than an actual release candidate phone.  It does, however, give hope that the iPhone 5 will finally come with 64GBs of memory.

What do you think this mysterious iPhone 4 is?

[via M.I.C. Gadget]