Déjà vu: Google employee loses prototype Nexus 4 at San Francisco bar

In 2010 a prototype of Apple’s iPhone 4 was left at a bar, leading to it leaking across the internet months before its official debut — and it appears the same almost happened with the much-anticipated new Nexus phone from LG. Wired reports that Jamin Barton, a bartender at the 500 Club in San Francisco, came across an unclaimed smartphone at the venue sometime in September. The device had no SIM card, but did feature the Google logo on the back along with a sticker indicating that it was “not for sale.”

As Barton tells the story, a friend — referenced only as “Dave” — recognized that the phone was likely Google’s next Nexus, and agreed to contact the search giant. According to Wired, Dave become upset the following day, saying that Google had threatened that he could be an accessory to what it apparently considered a crime. Google’s Global Investigations & Intelligence Manager, Brian Katz, was reportedly the person tasked with retrieving the phone, even telling individuals at the 500 Club that Google could file criminal charges in connection with the misplaced Nexus.

Ultimately, Google retrieved the phone on September 20th, only to have the Nexus 4 leak multiple times just weeks later. Katz reportedly offered Barton a free phone if he kept the incident under wraps — but Wired has the full story, along with a selection of images and video that confirm we have a very clear idea of what we’ll see at Google’s Android event next week.