The image above made it’s rounds around the internet this past week, originally picked up by the Xperia Blog and ultimately being picked up (and reported on with a healthy sized grain of salt) by larger outlets like The Verge, Engadget, and Gizmodo; many Android fans were hoping that there would finally be a Sony Android handset that was worth getting excited about. In the end it was all a hoax.
Being mislead by an online prankster is not news in the tech world; whether it’s rumors of an Apple made HDTV, or would be Nexus phones, learning how to roll with trolls punches is just a part of the game. That said, what makes this hoaxer unique is how they not just confessed to pull a fast one, but lays out the steps to possibly replicating the steps needed to design a credible hoax. The short version of this rather unique DIY guide is avoid Photoshop; you’re not gonna fool anyone.
The hoaxer has intimate knowledge of the people he was stringing along, knew that those that would be paying attention would be looking for the tiniest detail to call them out on, and used it against us. By meticulously creating renders of shadows on his desk to truly understanding the elements of Sony’s Xperia design language, the hoaxer created a Nexus “phone” that was worth drooling over. And that’s no easy task for the jaded internet.
Hit up the source link for the full play-by-play of a how prank reached critical mass.
Source: Xperia Blog
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