Mar 9, 2011 09:37 GMT  ·  By

A purportedly leaked 64GB iPhone 4 has been confirmed as “real” by the people lucky enough to get their hands on it, film it in action, and take it apart as well.

According to the folks at MIC Gadget, the owner “believes that the next iPhone will bring 64GB storage capacity to users,” even though this could well be a simply logical assumption.

Nonetheless, it is interesting to see that Apple has considered introducing a 64GB iPhone 4, and scrapped such plans before the phone was introduced.

It is worth noting that Apple originally shipped its first iPhone in 4GB and 8GB capacities while, a year later, the company decided to introduce a 16GB model as well.

The prototype now in the hands of MIC Gadget may well indicate that such plans are being considered for the iPhone 4 ahead of the introduction of the iPhone 5.

Elements giving away the “prototype” nature of the handset include the “XX” markings on the back glass panel where numbers would indicate how much NAND flash storage the phone boasts.

Once fired up (as the video below shows), the iOS running on the device clearly proves that it packs 64GB of storage.

The Model no. XXXXX, and the FCC ID BCG-XXXXXX are also indicative of its beta nature.

Finally, the phone lacks the metal ring surrounding the camera lens on current-shipping units.

The device was reportedly obtained from Foxconn, the company that assembles Apple’s iPhones and iPads.

An iPhone 5 announcement is expected this summer, while the finished device should arrive in 32GB and 64GB capacities, going by how Apple refreshes its hardware on a yearly basis.

In the meanwhile, the iPad 2 is set to arrive on March 11 (Friday), in both White and Black iterations with 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities.