Lost iPhone Prototype Ends in Suicide

**Cody Overcash** · 07-21-2009, 02:29 PM

25 year-old Sun Danyong received 16 prototype iPhones from the assembly line at a Foxconn factory in China where he worked on Thursday, July 9th. An engineering graduate, Sun had landed a job handling product communications for Foxconn shortly after graduating. Within the following days Sun noticed that one of the prototype iPhones was missing. He reported the missing iPhone to his supervisor on Monday, July 13th.

By Wednesday Sun found himself in a lot of trouble. As we already know Apple tries to keep their prototypes and future models away from the public eye as much as possible. This secrecy is a tool Apple uses to build up suspense and surprise to increase the grandeur of product launches leading to more sales, more profit, etc etc. Knowing this Sun's employer, Foxconn (who makes Apples iPhones and iPods) took quick measures to ensure that the missing iPhone was found in order to protect Apple's secrets and their business relationship.

On Wednesday Sun's apartment was searched illegally by 3 Foxconn employees looking for the iPhone. There are also allegations floating around that Sun was detained and then physically abused during the investigation.

Finally around 3 a.m. on Thursday July 16th Sun jumped out the window of his apartment to his death.

Apple commented on the tragedy saying

We are saddened by the tragic loss of this young employee, and we are awaiting results of the investigations into his death. We require our suppliers to treat all workers with dignity and respect.

Unfortunately this kind of thing appears to happen frequently in China. According to Steven Lin, a Chinese blogger and marketer

Students [like Sun] have been studying in schools for years, and they have been carefully protected by their parents. They can’t endure such pressure - ‘their house being illegally searched,’ or ‘house arrests’ (if that’s true, according some reports news). Employees at these and other factories sometimes kill themselves simply because of the pressure from their daily jobs — you know what’s going to happen when they face more serious threats. Also, most young Chinese guys don’t have friends who are lawyers, so they don’t know how to protect themselves in the legal system. They won’t even look for help from the legal system. They will just endure the pressure, and finally find an extreme way to end all their troubles.

[via venturebeat] thx iphoneuser2008 for the tip

**waynema** · 07-21-2009, 02:32 PM

what a sad story

**chachlate** · 07-21-2009, 02:34 PM

wow, that is absolutely awful. no-one deserves to be driven to jump out a window.

**reeco** · 07-21-2009, 02:38 PM

Dammm, maybe I should give the prototype back?

In all seriousness, this is a really bad thing to hear. My thoughts are with his friends and family.

**anomuse** · 07-21-2009, 02:40 PM

What? This is so random. That sucks...

**se23** · 07-21-2009, 02:42 PM

That's madness, that's when u know things r f****d when a phone means more than a persons well being

**blkcadi** · 07-21-2009, 02:43 PM

Very sad indeed. Makes me believe that there is definitely more to this story than is being told. We all remember Tiananmen Square.
My heart pours out to family and friends.

**relkorama** · 07-21-2009, 02:50 PM

Wow. That is sad indeed. Greed of a corporation is more important than the rights and well being of a human being. The all-mighty-dollar reigns all aparently.

**Iaurt** · 07-21-2009, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by blkcadi

Makes me believe that there is definitely more to this story than is being told.

I subscribe

Warm thoughts to his family. That's one sad story :-<

**Mista Brothason** · 07-21-2009, 02:51 PM

Either they said something to im that would be worse than death or he was just a weak minded individual. Suicide is a cowards way out. Very sad indeed.

**LearningMan** · 07-21-2009, 02:55 PM

A prototype (16, as a matter of fact) a full 12 months before it would ever be released? That a factory worker got hold of (16 of them, remember?)?

BS.

This whole story wreeks of BS. I ain't buyin'.

Source please.

**blkcadi** · 07-21-2009, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by LearningMan

This whole story wreeks of BS. I ain't buyin'.

Source please.

Source is in the original post.

**ALL DAY** · 07-21-2009, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by relkorama

Wow. That is sad indeed. Greed of a corporation is more important than the rights and well being of a human being. The all-mighty-dollar reigns all aparently.

Welcome to the business world.

**cellmate75** · 07-21-2009, 03:04 PM

This man's friends and family are in my prayers.

**tarekkkkk** · 07-21-2009, 03:04 PM

if i were the judges i would judge on apple on not releasing any more iphones to the whole world no more iphone for the sake of that life man or human being

**StealthBravo** · 07-21-2009, 03:04 PM

I don't know. I am thinking B.S.

**cjgonzales1900** · 07-21-2009, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by LearningMan

A prototype (16, as a matter of fact) a full 12 months before it would ever be released? That a factory worker got hold of (16 of them, remember?)?

BS.

This whole story wreeks of BS. I ain't buyin'.

Source please.

I agree somewhat this story seems true but why give this guy 16 of them and not just 3 or less, why would he need 16 of them and what was his job at the company? If he was a major tester then i could see 16 of them but if he was just a tester 1 is good enough right? something doesnt seem right they are leaving something out of this story something important.

**sLevin1fo** · 07-21-2009, 03:09 PM

Really sad.

But I've seen this in movies before. (Even though movies are fiction, it could happen that way) Guy messes up at work. Someone goes to his place. Throws him out. Make it look like a suicide. Case closed.

Not buying the story.

**iPodz** · 07-21-2009, 03:19 PM

wow really sad.

Prayers go out to the friends and family

**aeonflair90** · 07-21-2009, 03:20 PM

Now all apple needs to do now is kill a couple of zunes and somehow involve sex and they will be crowned top company!!

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